Hyperdimension Trip
by DarthImotet87
Summary: Multiple worlds collide as some of Gamindustri's worst enemies arrive in Earth Dimension to conquer it. Now, Nanashi and Shizuku, having been sent to Gamindustri, must join forces with the CPUs of both Hyper Dimension and Ultra Dimension to save their people and stop an ancient CPU's vengeful bid for global annihilation, as all-out war erupts between the two opposing forces!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Prologue:**

Gamindustri. A world which exists beyond our reality. Where four CPUs rule above each nation.

The nation where CPU Purple Heart rules, Planeptune. The nation where CPU Black Heart rules, Lastation. The Nation where CPU White Heart rules, Lowee. The Nation where CPU Green Heart rules, Leanbox.

In the past, Gamindustri had been exposed to threats such as ASIC, the Deity of Sin, and the CPU of the ancient nation of Tari.

But thanks to the efforts of the CPUs, Gamindustri has seen lasting era of peace and prosperity...until now.

For that peace is suddenly shattered as Neptune and her friends discover a pair of gravely injured otherworlders who's world has been conquered by sinister forces.

As new information comes to light, it quickly becomes apparent that some of Gamindustri's worst enemies are involved.

Rei Ryghts, CPU of the ancient nation of Tari, who nearly brought down Planeptune two years prior, has somehow regained her lost powers, completely swallowing her meek human form, and has vowed vengeance against the CPUs for defeating her. Joining forces with Arfoire and Anonydeath, Rei has conquered the Earth Dimension, in order to build an army of slave soldiers to invade and crush Gamindustri.

Can Neptune and her friends save Hyper Dimension, Ultra Dimension and even Earth Dimension from Rei's tyranny, or will Rei Ryghts succeed in destroying the multiverse itself?! Because on top of everything else, an even greater threat may be lurking in the shadows...

Find out in Hyperdimension Trip!

 **Disclaimers:**

This story is intended for readers 16 years of age and older. It is a war fic, and as such, does contain a some of the following: blood, violence, coarse language, and suggestive themes. If you are under the age of 16, or are offended by such content, please turn back now.

This story is non-canon, taking place in an AU which mostly follows the anime, but mixes in certain aspects, characters and events from the games as well. There may be multiple versions of a character in a certain scene, in which they will be referred to with an acronym representing their respective home dimension before their name (i.e. In scenes where both Hyper Dimension and Ultra Dimension Histoire are present, they will be referred to as HD Histoire and UD Histoire respectively). I also took a few liberties here and there, while also making some minor character personality changes, though, for the most part, I tried to remain faithful to their canon personalities as much as possible.

Examples include the following:

Compa is more serious and less of a ditz, taking a much more active roll in the early chapters of the story.

Plutia is less slow and more articulate, noticeably capable of using words which she would otherwise be incapable of pronouncing.

Rei Ryghts is far more psychotic, and unhinged than even her Ultra Dimension counterpart from Victory/Re;Birth3.

Neptune is more or less the same, with the exception that her habit of breaking the fourth wall is almost non-existent (with a war going on, there's very little opportunities for Neptune to not be in serious mode). Don't worry though, there's still the occasional humorous banter that you'd expect between Neptune and other characters.

 **Copyright Disclaimers:**

I do not own the rights to Hyperdimension Neptunia, Akiba's Trip, nor their respective characters. Those rights belong to Idea Factory/Compile Heart, and Acquire, respectively, along with their respective partners and affiliates.

Any an all OCs, however, are my own creations, and thus, may not be used without my express permission.

 **Final Notes:**

Please be sure to leave a comment. I am not really the best writer, so there will likely be much to criticize. I welcome that criticism, as it is criticism that helps an author to improve as a writer. Just remember to please keep it respectful and constructive. Also, I tend to update irregularly. Please be patient for future updates, and also, do not assume the story is dead just because it hasn't been updated in a while. And also, please do not pester me about chapter updates, as I will ignore your comments if you do. Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

****Chapter 2: A Life or Death Duel in Akiba; The Face of a New Enemy****

It was a rather warm summer afternoon in Akihabara as Nanashi and Shizuku were passing through UD+ on their way back to MOGRA, the game bar that served as the Akiba Freedom Fighters' HQ. Nanashi had messy, dark brown hair and greenish-grey eyes. He wore a blue, short-sleeved shirt over a long-sleeved black undershirt, despite the heat of the day, and a pair of blue jeans. Shizuku had lilac hair tied into twin tailed braids and jade-green eyes, and wore a frilly white gothic Lolita dress.

"Um, are you feeling alright?" Shizuku asked, noticing that Nanashi seemed a bit out of it. "Huh?" Nanashi said, snapping back to reality. "Oh, I'm fine, Shizuku." Nanashi said. "It's just...now that everything's seemingly gone back to normal, it's been kind of boring…"

"What? Boring?" "Well, we spent a month fighting the Synthisters. And I guess maybe I just got so used to our constant battles, that now it's difficult to adjust to my life returning to normal. Well, unless you count the recent increase in cyber-attacks." "Cyber-attacks?" Shizuku asked as MOGRA came into view. "How about we discuss this as a group when we get back to MOGRA." "Alright. We'll be there in a minute anyways." Shizuku said.

 **MOGRA**

"What?!" exclaimed Kaito Tachibana. "You haven't heard about it?" "Pitter's practically exploded with plips on this topic." Kaito had messy brown hair and blue-grey eyes. He wore a checkered green shirt over a white t-shirt featuring a moe anime girl on the front, and a pair of blue jeans.

"These incidents of cyber-attacks are much more than isolated, small-time criminal acts." Said Yuto Tachibana, Kaito's more level-headed and mature younger brother.

Yuto was about as tall as Kaito and had neatly combed brown hair and matching blue-gray eyes. He wore a striped blue shirt over a gray t-shirt and brown pants. A whistle with a lime-green strap was worn around his neck. Unlike Kaito, Yuto wore a pair of black-framed square glasses.

"It's obvious that these are coordinated attacks. Hacking and digital piracy have been wreaking havoc over the last week." "And not just here in Akiba, but worldwide!" added Tohko Sagisaka, Nanashi's childhood friend. Tohko had orange hair, held in a ponytail with a four-petaled flower-shaped hair pin, and brown eyes. She wore a cream and orange sports jacket, and a black and purple striped skirt, over a pair of black shorts.

"I bet there's some massive criminal organization at work!" said the always bubbly and cheerful, Kati Räikkönen, an employee at MOGRA who came to Japan from Finland because she loved Japanese culture and wore a blue, hand-made maid outfit with a white pinafore and matching white hair dress. Kati had yellow hair and sapphire blue eyes. If Yuto was the brains of their peace-keeping organization, Kati was most definitely the heart. Her cheerful personality alwas helped to brighten things even through the most stressful times.

"I agree with Kati." said MOGRA's owner, Kihachi Sugiyama, who they affectionately referred to as "Pops". Pops had gray hair and a goatee, and wore a dark gray winter cap, a red shirt and black pants. While Pops was quite a bit older than the others, he loved anime, manga and video games just as much as the rest of them.

"Sounds like I've arrived just in time for a very interesting converstation." said a woman's voice as they turned to see their newest member, former CEO of Daishihon Pharmeceuticals, Shion Kasugai, standing in the entryway. Shion was a busty young business woman, with long purple hair that reached down to her waist, and wore a gray business suit. "Oh! Hey, Miss Kasugai." Tohko said as they greeted her. "It's been a while. "How can we help you, today?" asked Pops.

"Well I was intending for a casual visit, since I had some time while waiting for my applications to go through. Despite several job offers, it's been more of a hassle than I'd initially thought. While many job offers have initially sounded promising, they haven't exactly been very compatible with my...quote, 'personality', and thus most have been rescinded soon after interviewing me. Needless to say, it's been rough ever since losing my job to that corrupt man, Koma Sakaguchi. Seriously, though. I can't believe after everything he's done, he's still Daishihon's CEO."

"No kidding!" Tohko said contemptuously. "And how can they dismiss a loyal and hardworking businesswoman like you just because you're a bit more carefree than most."

"It is what it is. Shion said. "Either way, this whole hassle with finding new employment certainly hasn't been helped by the recent string of cyber-crime, which, incidentally, seems to be the topic of today's discussion?" Shion added.

"It is indeed, Miss Kasugai." Nanashi said, "Please. Sit down and join us." "Why thank you, Nanashi." Shion said taking one of the remaining seats.

"Hmm, I don't see Rin anywhere…" Shion casually observed. "My sister returned home after Soga's defeat." said Shizuku. "I thought she told you."

"Unfortunately, no. She didn't." Shion said. "Next time you see your sister, please give her my regards." "In any case,as the Akiba Freedom Fighters, it is our job to look into this as we try to help to keep the peace in this town." Pops said.

"If I may add one thing…" Nanashi said suddenly. "I don't know why, but I've had a bad feeling that something much more sinister than even the Synthisters is about to go down in Akiba. I've kept it to myself, but I have to say it now. I just hope I'm wrong."

"What?!" Shizuku exclaimed, uncharacteristically angry. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?! Don't you trust me?!" "I trust you with my life, Shizuku." Nanashi said. "You're the one who saved my life, and you're the girl I love. I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you sooner. I guess I just didn't want to spoil the mood since everything had been going well up until two weeks ago. Can you forgive me, Shizuku?"

"Yes." Shizuku said, a single tear trickling down her cheek. "Just…please don't try to hide things this important from me. Because when it comes to us Nighteaters and their Familiars, beings like you and me, an ominous feeling may very well be a dire premonition that something bad might happen. And to tell you the truth, I too have been feeling uneasy for the last week."

"You have?" Nanashi asked. "Yes." Shizuku continued. "And not just me and you. I talked to Rin a week ago, and she too spoke of a growing feeling of dread. According to her, the entire Nighteater clan is restless from the feeling of unease."

"In other words, instead of sitting around here talking about it, how about doing some investigating, Brofessor?" said a voice as they turned to see Nanashi's reclusive shut-in of a younger sister, Nana. Nana had long, dark brown hair and blue-gray eyes. She wore a white hoodie sweater and a frilly black skirt.

"Yeah, I guess you got a point." Nanashi said as they got up to begin another round of patrolling. "We'll take Junk Street." Nanashi said. "And when we get back, I'm so going to eat!"

Unknown to either of the two, as they left MOGRA, a lone figure was watching them and was now contacting someone else.

"Hello?" said a woman's voice. "Why hello, Miss Arfoire? How are you today?"

"Annoying as ever…anyways, what do you want, Anonydeath?" "Oh my! Heh heh. Rather moody today aren't we, sweetheart…" "Grr…cut it out, you freak and get with the program already!" Arfoire said, her annoyance growing more and more by the second. "Oh my, what a grouchy-pants you are. You need to lighten up a little, Arfie." "IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IMPORTANT TO TELL ME, I'M GOING TO HANG UP RIGHT NOW!" Arfoire yelled, her patience having been worn out."

"Okay, okay. Geez. So serious…" Anonydeath said. "Anyways, the two we've been watching have left to patrol Junk Street." "I see…" Arfoire said. "Did anyone see you?"

"Oh, come now, Arfoire." Anonydeath said. "This is Akiba, after all. Everyone assumes I'm just a cosplayer…in other words, even you could casually take a walk here, and the citizens would be none the wiser. But more importantly, why are we wasting our time spying on these two when, even in combat, their power isn't even a fraction of that of a CPU candidate, much less that of a full CPU. In other words, I don't see why our leader is concerned about them."

"While it may be true that their current powers and abilities are nothing special…" Arfoire said. "the truth is that they have much hidden potential. Especially the boy. Don't forget that neither of them are actually human. The girl, Shizuku Tokikaze, is a Nighteater, an arbiter of darkness. And the boy, Nanashi, is a human-turned-Synthister with Nighteater powers and abilities. In other words, it's not their current power that concerns her, it's their potential to become even greater threats than Gamindustri's CPUs and CPU candidates themselves."

"I see! I see!" Anonydeath replied. "And yet, it's a shame really. That Shizuku is almost as cute and sassy as Lastation's CPU, Noire…" "SHUT UP!" Arfoire roared in annoyance. "In any case, it's time we begin…" On the far side of Akihabara from Junk Street, standing on the roof of Yadobashi Akiba, Arfoire ended the transmission and sighed in frustration.

"For crying out loud, he can be so annoying." Arfoire said. "True." said a small dark-furred mouse, named Warechu. "But you really can't deny he's useful."

"You're right." Arfoire admitted. "And that makes me hate him all the more. Anyways, is the Anti-Matter Transportation Cannon ready?" "Yes, and as soon as Anonydeath shuts the power grid down, all power will be redirected to this machine and we'll be able to let loose our first wave of monsters."

"Good." Arfoire said. "And I'm sure our leader will make short work of our two eyesores Hahahahahahaha! Still, I can't help but wonder if she really intends to keep her end of the bargain, because if she doesn't hand over Planeptune relatively unscathed, with the Basilicom completely intact as per hour agreement, our partnership will be officially null and void."

 **Junk Street**

"Have you found anything or anyone suspicious?" Shizuku asked as she returned to her and Nanashi's meeting place as they finished patrolling Junk Street. "I found nothing." Nanashi said. "Me neither." Shizuku said. "Alright, let's return to MOGRA." Nanashi said, just as he suddenly felt a spike of hostility. "Nanashi!" Shizuku said. "Did you sense that?" "Yes. Nanashi said as both he and Shizuku now stood on high alert.

Suddenly the electronic billboards flickered and died as the entire neighborhood power grid shut down. "What…just happened?" Shizuku asked. "A power outage?" Nanashi asked, as his attention was suddenly diverted to a brilliant purple beam of light in the sky, as thousands of monsters suddenly began raining down on Akiba and the surrounding districts.

"What are those things?!" Shizuku cried, suddenly feeling frightened. "I don't know!" Nanashi said. "Either way, they're bad news! We have no choice but to fight." "Alright." Shizuku agreed.

As Nanashi turned towards the descending horded of monsters and got into a defensive position, he suddenly heard a scream, followed by a wimper. Turning around, he saw that Shizuku was lying unconscious on the ground, having been blindsided by a dark shadowy woman who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Shizuku!" Nanashi yelled as her attacker suddenly moved at breakneck speed, elbowing him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. "Gah!" Nanashi cried out in pain. Getting back to his feet, he stared his enemy down, trying to analyze her. But with only her face clearly visible, it was impossible.

"Who is she?!" Nanashi thought as he quickly grabbed a makeshift weapon from his pack, a metal bat. "Whoever she is, she's not normal! I didn't even sense her approach! We're clearly dealing with a very dangerous opponent! However, I must not let that stop me! I must protect Shizuku with my life until she wakes up and is able to rejoin the battle!"

"Yaah!" Nanashi yelled with a battle cry as he swung the metal bat with all his might, but to his shock and horror, the woman cought it in her bare hand, tore it from his grip, and snapped it in half like a twig.

"What the hell?!" Nanashi yelled as the woman charged at him, having conjured a staff of some sort, forcing him to bring out Soga's old longsword, Izayoi Oboro, which he had taken after his death. Nanashi was quickly put on the defensive as the woman began bearing down upon him with her staff, coming down blow after blow. It took all his strength just to block each strike, and he had no opening for a counterattack. Nanashi quickly realized this was an enemy that, at his current level, was impossible for either of them to defeat.

Nanashi suddenly cried out in pain as the crazed woman suddenly shifted her weapon slightly and with a quick thrust, struck him in the chest. The damage caused by the blow was amplified by the fact that she'd wrapped her staff in an electric current. "Gaah!" Nanashi gasped in pain as he recognized what had happened. "That woman can control electricity!" Despite the pain, which was excruciating, he quickly used the short break in the fight to leap away from his attacker, hoping that putting some distance between them would allow him to keep the fight going just long enough for Shizuku to awaken and join the battle. Sure enough, Shizuku was beginning to stir.

As Nanashi leaped through the air, the woman suddenly vanished. "Where did she go?!" Nanashi thought frantically, before suddenly sensing danger above him. Too late, he looked up to see the woman had appeared above him, and though he managed to avoid a fatal strike, he still felt the bite of her lightning impued staff cutting through his chest. "AAAAAH!" Nanashi screamed as blood spurted everywhere and he fell toward the ground.

Shizuku woke up just in time to see Nanashi being slashed across the upper torso, blood showering everywhere, as she screamed in horror.

"NANASHI-KUN!"

Shizuku was quickly on her feet as their attacker now turned her attention toward her. Shizuku quickly leaped out of the way as she charged, and quickly grabbed her parasol. As with Nanashi, Shizuku was quickly overwhelmed by the inhuman strength, speed and power of her adversary. And almost as soon as the battle began, she was struck in the head by the enemy's staff, and that was the last thing she remembered as she blacked out.

As Shizuku fell next to Nanashi, the woman opened a portal and sent them to Gamindustri. "Sleep well and get stronger." said the woman, the HDD form of Rei Ryghts, Goddess of the ancient land of Tari, who had somehow regained her power and had completely taken over her other self. "Right now, you're not even worth fighting, let alone killing. Either way, you will die. It is up to you whether you will die pathetically, or die fighting…AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Why didn't you just kill them while they were down?!" said a voice from above her as she looked up to see Arfoire, standing on the rooftop of march-rabbit, one of the many shops in the area. "It wouldn't be any fun if we won too easily." Rei said. "Either way, Gamindustri will fall. Now then, it's time we begin the second phase of our plan. I want you to contact Anonydeath and inform him it's time for step two to begin. Our preparations for our war against Gamindustri are nearing completion. As soon as I force the weaklings of this world to bow before their new queen, using my newly-upgraded Pongg Laser Cannon, and Anonydeath has hacked their minds to force them into complete loyalty, we will begin our invasion. Very soon, I will have my revenge on the four CPUs who defeated me before!"

"Don't forget about our contract, Rei." Arfoire said, eliciting a glare from Rei. "I told you, while I could care less what you do to Lastation, Lowee and Leanbox, I want Planeptune in tip top shape, their Basilicom completely intact! If you fail to uphold your end of the bargain, our partnership is over! Don't forget that, Rei Ryghts!"

"Whatever! Just contact Anonydeath and relay to him my orders. I have an army to build and cities to destroy!" Rei said as she flew off.

"I'm seriously starting to regret agreeing to work with that psychotic woman." Arfoire sighed, as she departed as well.

 **AN: I took some liberties in regards to the Nighteaters and their powers. Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed explains very little about their powers other than having superhuman stamina. Also, please forgive Anonydeath's rather awkward dialogue, as I found him very difficult to write.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Neptune to the Rescue! New Friends in a New World**

 **Planeptune Park**

"Ah, nothing beats a nap in the park under the Planeptune sun!" said a girl with lilac hair purple eyes. She wore a deep purple dress with lilac lining along the bottom, center, top, and pockets, along with white spiked edging at the hem. Over this she wore a white, short-jacket with a big N button, purple plug-like strings, and purple lining and buckles on each shoulder sleeve. On her wrist she has white bracelets with a soft spiked material and small powder blue spots in the center. Around her neck she wore a simple white choker. One her feet she wore lilac shoes with blue and white accents, over a pair of blue and white striped stockings that reached up to mid-thigh. She also wore a pair of white game-pad shaped hairpins on either side of her head. Her name was Neptune and she was the Goddess or CPU of Planeptune, one of the four nations that made up the world of Gamindustri.

As she was waking up from her nap, she was approached by three other people.

"Oh! There you are, Nep-Nep!" said a girl with long, creamy-pink hair and matching eyes, who wore a tan-white sweatshirt and a plaid skirt, as well as a hip purse and a choker, both of which had the letter "C" on them.

"Oh! Hey Compa! Hey, Iffy! Hey Lil' Nep!" Neptune said. "What brings you here?"

"Histoire told us to find you." said IF who had emerald-green eyes and waist-length brown hair, a few strands framing her face, along with a ponytail tied to one side, held in place by a lime-green ribbon. She wore a dark blue overcoat over a black tank top and a short-short style one piece and a belt around her waist. "And if necessary, drag you back to the Basilicom so she can lecture you on skipping out on your duties as Planeptune's Goddess once again."

"Oh man!" Neptune complained. "Why does Histy always have to be such a meanie?!"

"Come on, Sis." said Nepgear, who was Neptune's younger sister, though due to her being nearly twice as tall as her, most people assumed she was the elder of the two.

Nepgear had long hair that was the same color as her sister's, and her eyes also matched those of her sister. She wore an outfit that resembled a school uniform, consisting of a white jacket-dress with purple lining consisting of thin double white stripes. Around her neck, she wore a white choker, and a pale yellow ribbon/ascot like piece with a purple 'N' in the center. Over her chest was a small pink marking while the pockets and buttons were purple. On her right leg was a white belt like purse object and she wore pink and white striped knee socks and white and purple shoes very similar to her sister's. She also wore a single white game-pad shaped hair pin on the left side of her head.

"It's time to go." IF said. "But I just woke up!" Neptune said, obviously trying to procrastinate. "At least give me a few minutes get fully awake…"

"It's been a few minutes already since we got here…" Compa said.

"Compa. Nepgear." IF said as the two of them nodded and surrounded Neptune, grabbing her by the underarms and pulling her from her seat as they prepared to escort their slacker of a friend towards Planeptune's Basilicom. "What?! Hey! Hey! I can walk you know!" Neptune complained. "Then do it." IF said as they let go of Neptune, allowing her to walk on her own.

"Seriously, though!" Neptune said. "Why must Histy always be so uptight?!"

"If you would do your duties as Planeptune's CPU consistently and stop being so lazy, Histoire wouldn't have to keep lecturing you now would she?" IF replied, before suddenly stopping as she noticed something on the ground. "Iffy?" Compa asked, concerned. "What is it?"

"Is it just me, or does this look like blood to you?" IF said, examining the stone pavement in front of her, which had dark red splotches. As everyone bend down to see what IF was looking at it, they thought they heard a whimper. "Spread out and search!" IF said as they stood up. "There may be someone wounded nearby!"

A minute later, they heard someone shouting at them. Turning around, they saw Neptune waving frantically at them. "I think Neptune's found something!" Nepgear said as they raced to see what she found.

There before them was a most grisly sight. There were two people laying in a pool of blood. One was a girl. She had light-purple braided hair and wore a white Lolita dress, and a white parasol attached to her back. The other was a boy. He had brown spiky hair and wore a blue jeans and a light-blue, short sleeved windbreaker over a dark gray, long sleeved shirt.

"What in Gamindustri happened here?!" IF said in shock, as she was taken aback by the gruesome scene before her. "Compa! See if you can provide emergency aid while I call for an ambulance!" "Yes!" Compa said as she rolled the two of them over carefully, which, if possible, caused the scene to appear even more gruesome than before as she saw that the boy had a deep wound across the upper torso, thus the source of most of the blood. The girl had cuts and bruises, as well as a broken arm, but otherwise, her injuries where far less serious. "What is the extent of their injuries?!" IF asked as she ended the emergency call.

"The girl has multiple cuts and bruises, a broken arm, and possibly a mild concussion!" Compa said. "But otherwise, she doesn't appear to be in any immediate danger! But it's the boy I'm worried about! He's been slashed across the chest! Probably a sword wound! From what I can gather, most of this blood on the ground is his!" "I see." IF said, as she too felt worried.

"How long 'til the ambulance gets her, Iffy?!" "About 8 minutes!" IF replied. "That long?!" Compa asked, suddenly fearing for the boy's ability to survive. "That's not good! I may be a nurse! But these wounds are far beyond my current capabilities! Although none of his vital organs have been damaged, the fact remains he has lost a lot of blood already! This boy will surely die from blood loss if he does not get immediate medical treatment! If we wait for the ambulance to get here, it may already be too late for him!"

IF could see just how upset Compa was. It was clear to her that her inability to help this poor boy was tearing her apart. "That settles it!" Neptune said as she transformed into her HDD form. "I will take him there myself. If I fly fast enough, he may just have a chance! I will be back soon!" And with that, Neptune carefully scooped up the dying boy as she flew as fast as she could toward Planeptune Central Hospital.

 **Three minutes later…**

 **Planeptune Central Hospital**

"Excuse me!" Neptune, as Purple Heart, shouted as she arrived at the hospital. "I request help immediately! I have a young man who's been gravely wounded and he will die if he doesn't receive immediate medical treatment!" "You heard Lady Purple Heart! Let's get this poor boy to the ER and quickly!" said the head nurse as they quickly brought out a stroller and carefully laid the boy down, securing him safely with straps to ensure his safety, before quickly rolling him into the ER.

"Thank you!" Neptune said. "No, thank you, Lady Purple Heart." The head nurse, Ayame replied. Ayame was a young woman with pink hair, tied in a bun, and had blue eyes. She wore a white hospital gown and a classical nurse's cap with a red cross surrounding a purple 'N'. "Because of you, he may yet have a chance."

 **Back with Nepgear, IF and Compa…**

At the same time, the injured girl was beginning to stir. She opened her eyes, which were jade-green and sat up, disoriented. "Huh?" she said weakly. "Where am I? And who are you?"

At that moment, as she tried sitting up, she cried out as intense pain shot up her left arm. "Aaah!" "Easy, there." Compa said, trying to comfort the girl. "You're all banged up and your right arm is broken. An ambulance is on its way now." Shizuku suddenly noticed that Nanashi wasn't there, and as memories of what had happed prior to her being knocked out returned to her, she suddenly began to panic. "Wait!" Shizuku cried out in panic! "Where's Nanashi-kun!"

"Do you mean the boy who was with you?" IF inquired. "Yes!" Shizuku said. One of our group has already rushed him to the hospital. His wounds were much more severe than yours. Compa here said that he would have died if we'd waited until the ambulance arrived. Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be alright now." "I see…" Shizuku said.

Suddenly, IF received a call as she got out some sort of mobile device, which projected an image of, to Shizuku's shock, a small fairy-like girl. "IF! Where are you?!" the girl said. "I thought I asked you to bring Neptune back to the Basilicom at once!"

"Yeah, sorry about that, Histoire." IF said. "We had a bit of an emergency situation on our hands as we were heading there and it might be a while before we get back…"

"Emergency situation?" Histoire asked before suddenly noticing a girl sitting behind IF and next to Compa on the ground. She also noticed a large pool of blood nearby.

"My, gosh! What happened?" Histoire asked, shocked to see such a gruesome sight.

"We found two injured civilians as we were walking back to the Basilicom, Histoire. Neptune has rushed him to the hospital using her HDD form. According to Compa, if we had waited for the ambulance, he may not have survived.

"I see." Said Histoire, turning to the young woman. "May I ask your name, please?"

"My name is Shizuku Tokikaze." Shizuku said. "My friend's name is Nanashi."

"My name is Histoire. I am a tome, charged with recording the history of Gamindustri."

"I'm sorry…Game Industry?" Shizuku asked, confused.

"Gamindustri is the name of this world. You are currently in the central city of Planeptune, located in the nation of the same name. Judging from the fact that you seem confused by what I just told you, I'm guessing that you and you're friend are not actually of this world. Which means you must have somehow been sent here from another dimension."

"I come from the planet Earth." Shizuku explained.

"Do you know how you and your friend got such awful wounds?"

"We were attacked by a strange woman! I was knocked out at the beginning of the fight, forcing Nanashi to have to fight alone, trying to defend me. I re-awoke just in time to see the woman slash him with an electric staff of some sort! I tried to fight her off as well, but I was swiftly defeated and the next thing I knew, I find myself here in this strange city with these two girls standing before me, and then you appeared…um…Histoire, right?"

"Yes." Histoire replied. "Do you remember any specific details about your attacker?"

"Aside from what I've already mentioned, not much. The fact is most of her form was shrouded in shadow. The only thing that was clear was her face. She had bright blue eyes and a frightening grin. It was almost like she was mentally unstable. From her silhouette, she appeared to have two horns on either side of her head, bat-like wings, and long flowing hair. Her strength and speed were beyond human, and as I stated before, she wielded a staff which appeared to be able to channel electricity, possibly even lightning, though that's just a theory, because it was a hot and sunny day at the time of her attack. I also remember a horde of monsters appearing just prior to the incident."

"I see…" Histoire said. "It's just a theory, but she may also be the one who sent you and your friend to this world. Which, if true, means she has the ability to open dimensional portals."

"In any case, I will do some research into the matter. It should take about three days. There is a possibility, however unlikely, that your attacker may have connections to this world, and if so, both our worlds may be in danger. IF, Compa, Nepgear. Go with Shizuku to the hospital and I will contact you later."

"I'm back!" said a voice from above them as Shizuku looked up to see a beautiful woman with long dark lilac-purple hair tied in twin-tail braids, accented with a pair of black gamepad shaped hairpins, and blue eyes. She wore a black leotard which had purple wing-like appendages on the back. But what shocked Shizuku most was that she was flying!

"There you are!" Histoire said as she turned to Neptune as she landed on the ground. "Histy?!" Neptune said, surprised. "I was going to scold you for skipping out on your duties the moment I next saw you, however, given the situation at hand, now is not the time for that." Histoire said. "I will wait until after you return before I scold you. And you will do your duty as Planeptune's CPU, even if I have to confiscate your video games and lock them up in an ultra-secure safe until you've completed your work! Be warned, Neptune. The moment you return to the Basilicom, I will work you until you drop from exhaustion!" Histoire said glaring at Neptune as she ended the transmission.

The next moment, much to Shizuku's shock, Neptune was suddenly surrounded by a bright light and seconds later, a short child-like girl stood where the older woman had been moments before. "Aw, man!" Neptune whined angrily. "Histy is such a jerk! She didn't even acknowledge that I just saved a man's life! Nope! Instead, it's straight to 'Lil' Dictator' mode the moment she lays her eyes on me! And now she's going to make me slave around until I drop!"

As Neptune finished her rant, she suddenly noticed that the injured girl was awake. "Oh, she's awake?" "You just now noticed?" IF asked, sweatdropping, given the fact that Neptune had been there for two whole minutes now." "I hear the sirens!" Compa said as the ambulance suddenly appeared from around the corner.

"The ambulance is here, Shizuku." IF said. "We'll accompany you to the hospital. We can exchange introductions there, alright?" "Alright." Shizuku said as they paramedics helped Shizuku onto a stretcher and they all piled into the ambulance, before the doors slammed shut behind them and the ambulance drove off towards Planeptune Central Hospital.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Revelations of Despair; A Declaration of War**

 **12 minutes later…**

 **Planeptune Central Hospital**

"I want you three to remain with Shizuku while I go check on how the boy is doing." Compa said. "Er…what was his name again?" "Nanashi." Shizuku replied. "Oh, right. Sorry." Compa said. "Anyways, I'll be back shortly."

 **A few minutes later…**

 **At the ER**

"What is the boy's status?" Compa asked. "His condition has been stabilized. He will live. However, he will still need to remain in our care for a week." said the head nurse. "I have to admit, if it weren't for Lady Purple Heart, he may not have been so lucky." "I understand. Thank you." Compa said as she walked away heading back towards Shizuku's room, only to find it was empty. "Are you looking for the girl and her friends?" said a nurse who was passing by.

"Yes. Do you know where they are?" Compa asked. "The girl's been transferred to Radiology." "Thank you." Compa said as she walked towards the Radiology waiting room.

 **Radiology**

The moment she arrived, she immediately saw IF, Nepgear and Neptune sitting at the far end of the waiting room. "How is he?" Neptune asked. "His condition is stable. He will live." Compa said. "That's good to hear." Nepgear said. "As soon as Shizuku returns, I'll inform her as well. I'm sure she must be worried sick." Compa said. "In any case, our next stop will most likely be Orthopedics."

"Um, excuse me." Said a voice as two doctors appeared, one of whom was pushing Shizuku along in a wheelchair. "We're ready to transfer to Orthopedics." "Alright." Compa said as she approached the second doctor. "I can take her from here." She said. "Yes, Miss Compa." said the nurse.

"How is Nanashi?" Shizuku asked. "His condition has been stabilized and his life is no longer in danger. However, the doctors said he will need to stay here for about a week before he is discharged." Shizuku felt tears sting her eyes as she was overcome with joy and relief that Nanashi was going to be okay. "Thank you…" she said.

It took about 45 minutes to apply the cast to Shizuku's arm and when she returned, she found that Neptune was sound asleep. "How are you feeling, Shizuku?" IF asked.

"About as well as I can be with one arm currently broken." Shizuku said. "Thankfully, I'm right-handed, so a broken left arm is less consequential for me than had it been my right one."

"The doctors said you're free to go whenever you're ready." Compa said. "Before you head toward the Basilicom, I'm sure you would like to see your friend." "He's actually more than just my friend. He's my boyfriend. We've been dating for a little less than a month. But I would like to see him, thank you."

 **Nanashi's room**

Shizuku entered the room and carefully approached Nanashi, sitting down in a chair at the head of his bed. "Shizuku…" said Nanashi weakly. "…Is that you…?" "Shhh…" Shizuku said softly, stroking his hair. "Yes, it's me. Please…don't talk. Just rest, alright?" "I'm sorry…I'm so pathetic." Nanashi said. "I can't believe I let my guard down…"

"No." Shizuku said. "You're not pathetic. You're incredibly brave. You were fighting against an enemy who's power was beyond your comprehension. There was no way you could have won that fight. And I'm sure you know that already. Yet in spite of the odds against you, you still chose to fight, in order to try to protect me. And for that, I will be forever grateful."

"Still, I nearly died…" Nanashi started. "But you didn't, and that's what matters." Shizuku said, tears trickling down her cheek.

"When I saw you get cut down…I was horrified. I thought I'd lost you." Shizuku was crying in full now. "Thank you…thank you for not dying today…thank you for living. And thank you, Neptune, for your quick action, without which Nanashi would have most likely died today." "Anyways, before we go. I believe introductions are in order." Neptune said. "My name is Neptune." "My name is Nepgear." "And I'm IF." "And the person who just left is Compa." Neptune said. "My name is Nanashi. And this here is Shizuku."

"It's nice to meet all of you..." Nanashi said weakly. "And thank you, miss, Neptune."

"Aww...shucks. It was nothing. Just doing my job as a CPU. And please, forget the formalities. Just call me by my name, okay?" Neptune said, with a cute wink.

 **Meanwhile…**

 **Earth**

People in cities across the world were fleeing in terror as monsters continued to ravage the world. Meanwhile, every half hour, a city was destroyed by the Pongg Laser Canon. Already, more than a million people had lost their lives across the globe. In Akihabara, Tokyo, the Akiba Freedom Fighters were huddled together in game bar MOGRA.

"Any word on Nanashi's whereabouts?" Yuto asked. "No. And all power and most communications have been destroyed." Pops said. "The only method of communication we do currently have is via cell phone, though reception is shaky as a result of so many towers being destroyed. Of course, once our cell phones die, that's it. From what little information I've been able to gather from my friend, Yatabe, it's not pretty. Over a million people worldwide have been killed. Several cities have been completely destroyed. More than half of Tokyo itself has been leveled." At that moment, a text came in. "Oh!" Pops said. "I just received a text."

 _Pops! I've found something! One of my contacts managed to capture a video at the time this chaos began! I am sending the data to you now! Prepare to have your socks blown off!_

"My friend is sending a video that someone capture that he claims will blow us away!" Pops said. Everyone gathered around Pops as the video began to play on his cell. They gasped in shock and horror as they watched none other than Nanashi and Shizuku being attacked by a mysterious woman.

"Who is that woman?!" Nana asked in horror. "What is she doing to Brosky?!" As they watched Nanashi jump away from the woman, after barely managing to fend off her onslaught, they watched in horror as the woman seemingly vanished and then instantly reappeared above him and cut him down! "NANASHI-KUN!" said a girls voice, as they watched Shizuku get up and begin to fight the woman, who quickly defeated her as well.

Just before the video cut out, they saw a dark rift appear which swallowed the collapsed forms of Nanashi and Shizuku. And then a second figure appeared, another woman. This woman wore a gothic, witch-like outfit and wore dark lipstick, and her skin was somewhat pale.

As the two women began talking, Tohko distinctly heard three names. The newcomer was apparently named "R4", or something like that. The second woman, the one who attacked Nanashi and Shizuku, was apparently named Rei Ryghts. A third name, Anonydeath, most likely a third partner in crime, was also mentioned. In addition, Tohko could have sword she'd heard them mention the "Game Industry", CPUs and CPU candidates, plans to wage war, as well as four places apparently called "Lastation", "Lowee", "Leanbox" and "Planeptune".

"Brother?!" Nana wailed as the video cut out, and everyone tried to deal with their feelings of sadness and anger, while also trying to comprehend the meaning of the exchange between the two women in the video. Tohko in particular was especially angry. Nanashi was her childhood friend, and she'd grown quite close to Shizuku as well, ever since the incident where she'd rescued Nanashi after he'd been turned into a Synthister.

"I refuse to believe they're dead!" Tohko yelled angrily. "They're alive! I just know it! They're fighting, even now! And when the time is right, they'll return, possibly with reinforcements, and kick these freaks' asses!"

"Ahahahahahaha!" A melodramatic laugh was heard above them as they looked up to see the woman in the witch-like outfit sitting, apparently on thin air, above them. "You sure are confident, brat! However, I'm afraid I'm going to have to shatter that delusion and bring you back to reality!"

"You must be Arfoire!" Tohko said angrily. "How interesting that you know my name, girl." Arfoire said. "Considering this is our first encounter…"

"What have you done to Nanashi and Shizuku?!" Tohko asked angrily. "I haven't done anything to them. That was all the doing of my employer…" Arfoire said. "Liar!" Tohko said angrily. "You and your allies won't get away with this!" "I wouldn't be so certain of that, brat!" Arfoire said as she landed and as the smoke cleared, they gasped in shock as standing before them was a carbon-copy of Shizuku Tokikaze.

"Heh heh…" the fake Shizuku said, smirking evilly as she charged at Tohko, who barely had time to defend herself. Arfoire, in Shizuku's form, kicked Tohko in the stomach, sending her flying across the room.

"I have the ability to copy others." Arfoire said reverting back to her human form. "Their appearance. Their powers and abilities. Even their personality."

"I am Arfoire! The Deity of Sin! And this is my true power!" Arfoire roared as she stabbed forward with her javelin, slicing off some of Tohko's hair as she just barely evaded the lethal strike. But Arfoire wasn't done, as she twirled her javelin in her hand before striking Tohko hard in the stomach with the weapon's handle, then sent her flying with a roundhouse kick to her face, as Tohko cried out in pain."

"TOHKO!" shouted the others simultaneously. "Damn you!" Pops growled, cracking his fist as he prepared to step in, only to stop as Arfoire turned her attention towards him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Kihachi Sugiyama!" Arfoire said. "H-how do you know my name?!" Pops asked. "Did you really think we would not partake in research on our enemies and their allies? Besides, it was ironically my ability that allowed you to learn of what transpired with your beloved Nighteater friends anyways.

"W-what did you just say?!" Pops said, in utter shock and anger. "I happened to discover, and subsequently killed our unfortunate witness. Afterwards, I took his form and sold the video to that man, Yatabe, before killing him as well, using my disguise to catch him off guard."

"You horrible-!" Pops started, only to be blown off his feet by a ki-attack courtesy of Arfoire herself. "In other words…" Arfoire continued, ignoring Pops' outburst. "I may as well have been the one who sent the video."

"Don't you dare forget about me, you disgusting purple hag!" said a voice as an absolutely livid Tohko rose to her feet, despite her injuries, much to Arfoire's surprise.

"Hmm...how interesting. I could have sworn I had knocked you unconscious!" Arfoire said, as she released her battle aura. "It seems you still haven't learned your lesson, Tohko Sagisaka!" Arfoire suddenly vanished, before appearing right behind Tohko, who turned around just as she was blindsided by a kick to the side of her face, sending her crashing through several tables, as her limp body skidded across the floor. "TOHKO!" said the others as they watched Arfoire continue to brutalize their friend.

"I'm not done yet..." Tohko muttered as she struggled weakly to her feet.

"Ahahahahaha! I hear you're Nanashi's childhood friend. Let's see how much you enjoy fighting him, Tohko Sagisaka…!" Arfoire said sadistically as she transformed into Nanashi, materializing Izayoi Oboro and charged again. Tohko was forced to grab a metal bat to block the attack.

"What are we just standing around for?!" Kaito shouted. "If we don't do something, Tohko is going to be killed?!" As they all tried to rush to Tohko's aid, Arfoire quickly spun in a circle, taking them all out at once. "Stay out of this, brats!" Arfoire commanded as she continued to pummel Tohko, before lashing out with her foot and kicking her in the face, breaking her nose and sending her flying across the room. "AAAH!" Tohko screamed in excruciating pain as her nose was broken, causing it to bleed heavily, and her body slammed hard against the wall. Arfoire, once again reverting to her human form, walked up to Tohko's beaten and collapsed form, and lifted her up off the floor by the neck.

"You get it now?!" Arfoire said, smirking as she licked her lips. "YOU EVIL WITCH!" Tohko screamed in rage before suddenly choking as Arfoire tightened her grip. "Is that the best insult you can come up with?!" Arfoire asked mockingly. "In any case, you're coming with me, girl." Arfoire said as she bound Tohko with a rope and gagged her mouth, and then carried her off. As Arfoire left, she dropped something, and then the entire building erupted in flames as a massive explosion rocked the building and reduced it to rubble, severely injuring the remaining members of the Akiba Freedom Fighters, who were helpless to stop Arfoire from carrying Tohko off.

 **Late that night…**

 **Planeptune Central Hospital**

"Tohko!" Nanashi yelled as he woke up with a start. It was currently 3:00 AM according to his watch. At that moment, the door opened as Compa walked in. Compa had been given a night shift, which, although it wasn't her first, she was not used to working so late. Naturally she was tired. She had entered Nanashi's room to check on him, as she was currently doing her scheduled rounds. "Are you alright?" Compa asked. "Yeah." Nanashi said. "It's just, I had a nightmare…"

"A nightmare?" Compa inquired. "Yes. However, I can't help but think it may have been a dire premonition." Nanashi said. "Can you recall the events in your nightmare?" Compa asked. "As clearly as I see you now. I saw my childhood friend, Tohko." Nanashi said. "And my other friends as well. They were suddenly attacked. Tohko herself was beaten badly, and then the assailant abducted her. And just before I woke up, the entire building they were in was engulfed in flames. I think my friends are in grave danger."

"Do you remember any details about her attacker?" Compa asked. "Yes." Nanashi said.

"She was an older woman. She wore a gothic witch-like outfit and could transform into near-perfect replicas of others. She took on both mine and Shizuku's forms as she attacked them. I also remember she had a melodramatic laugh." "Are you certain?" Compa asked, suddenly serious and alarmed. "Absolutely." "I'll be back momentarily. I must inform Histoire of this development at once." Compa said as she left the room.

 **Planeptune Basilicom**

"Hello…" Histoire asked sleepily. "Sorry for calling so late, Histoire." Compa said on the other end of the line. "Is that you, Compa? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Histoire asked. "I know and I'm sorry. However, I believe we may have a development on our end."

As soon as Histoire heard that, she was automatically awake. "A development, you say?"

"Yes." Compa said. "Apparently, Nanashi just had a nightmare, which he claims may have been a dire premonition. Normally, without any evidence, I would take such claims of premonitions with a grain of salt. However, upon hearing his description of the events that took place in his nightmare, my mind was quickly changed. Anyways, Nanashi claims his friends were attacked by a woman. But it was his description of the woman in question that had me most alarmed, and thereby convinced that he was most definitely genuine in his claims!"

"Was it the same person who attacked him and Shizuku prior to their arrival here?" Histoire asked. "I don't think so." Compa said. "His description of the events in question were quite vivid. If it had been the same person, I would think he would have mentioned it."

"I see." said Histoire. "Then who was it?" "Judging by his description, I have reason to believe it was Arfoire." Compa said. "Arfoire?!" Histoire asked in shock. "What would she be doing in his world?!" "I don't know, but I think it's safe to say that she and the person who attacked him and Shizuku are working together. Anyways, I have to get back to my rounds."

"Alright. Thank you for the update, I will begin looking for information in the morning."

"Good night, Histoire." Compa said as she hung up and Histoire thought to herself, "Arfoire, huh? If she is involved, Gamindustri really does face grave danger…"

 **Nanashi's Room:**

"I talked with Histoire and she said she will begin looking for information in the morning." Compa said upon returning to Nanashi's room. "If you see that woman again, even in your nightmares, I want you to let us know immediately." "Wait?! Are you saying you know the woman I saw in my nightmare?" Compa nodded, a grave expression on her face. "I know her well." she said. "Listen carefully, Nanashi. That woman is a powerful and dangerous enemy that my friends and I have faced countless times. Her name is Arfoire and she is the embodiment of piracy! She aspires to destroy Gamindustri and remake it in her own image…"

 **Three Nights Later…**

 **Deep Beneath Tokyo**

Tohko sat in her cold jail cell. Her hands were handcuffed behind her back and her body ached all over, especially her nose, which Arfoire had broken three days before. Blood stained the floor and her clothes due to the resulting nosebleed. Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching as a dark figure appeared before her. It was Arfoire. "Now let's see what kind of useful information you have for us." Arfoire said as she unlocked the cell door and entered, closing it behind her. "Go to hell…AAAH!" Tohko screamed as a wave of electricity coarsed through her body.

"I see you finally noticed." Arfoire said. "The handcuffs and collar I've put on you have the power to send electric currents through the wearer's body upon command. "AAAAAAH!" Tohko screamed in agony as she felt the electricity coursing through her body. "Now tell me everything you know about your friends, girl." Arfoire said. "If you refuse to cooperate, the next jolt will be twice as strong."

"I WOULD NEVER SELL OUT MY FRIENDS, YOU EVIL BITCH!" Tohko screamed defiantly, hating this woman more and more by the second. "Hmph." Arfoire scoffed. "No? We'll see…"

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Tohko screamed again as a nother wave of electricity ripped through her body. She'd never experienced such pain before. "NANASHI! HELP ME!" Tohko thought desperately, hoping Nanashi would sense her suffering.

 **Meanwhile…**

 **Planeptune Central Hospital**

"No!" Nanashi said, rolling uncomfortably in his sleep as a new, even more terrifying vision came to him. "Tohko!" Nanashi woke up, sweating, genuinely fearing the worst. At this point, Nanashi found he was unable to sleep, and so he flipped on the TV for ambience, as he waited until morning to contact Compa, knowing that, as she was not on night shift this time around, she would be not be available at this hour.

 **The following morning…**

"What?!" Compa asked. "You had another vision?!" "Yes!" Nanashi said. "It's Tohko! She's suffering! Arfoire is torturing her!" Compa gasped audibly at the horrifying relevation. It had been more than three days since Nanashi had revealed that Arfoire was involved. And now, another terrifying vision had come to Nanashi. "What do we do?!" Shizuku asked. "I don't know. Either way we are running out of time." Histoire said.

"Anyway, I did some research, and I believe I found a profile that matches your description of the woman who attacked you. However, I want to confirm two things. I have two portraits. One is Arfoire's. Is this the woman you've been seeing in your nightmares, Nanashi?" Histoire showed him an image. "The very same." Nanashi said. "As for the other profile..."

Histoire showed another picture to him, to which both he and Shizuku gasped in shock, instantly recognizing the portrait.

"I take it from your reaction just now, you've seen this woman before." Nanashi and Shizuku nodded. "Is she the one who attacked you before?" Again, Nanashi and Shizuku confirmed this. "In that case, Gamindustri faces grave danger. The person in this photo is Rei Ryghts. She is a former Goddess."

"A former Goddess?" Shizuku asked. "You mean she has powers like Neptune?"

"Please!" Neptune said. "Don't compare me to that psychotic freak!"

"Neptune, please!" Histoire said, trying to stop Neptune before she distracted them completely by being, well…Neptune. "Let me do the talking." Turning back to Shizuku and Nanashi, she continued. "Anyways, Rei Ryghts is the former Goddess of the ancient nation of Tari. And she is probably the most powerful and deadly enemy we've ever faced. Two years ago, Planeptune was nearly destroyed when she regained her power and went on a rampage. If it weren't for the combined efforts of all four nations' CPUs and their candidates, Neptune would have been killed, Planeptune destroyed, and the other three nations and their Goddesses would have followed suit. In essence, Gamindustri itself would have been annihilated."

"During her reign as Goddess of Tari, she ruled with an iron fist. Her tyrannical rule eventually culminated in the mass murder of her own people, when they tried to revolt."

"Goddesses get their power from Share Energy. Share Energy is the manifestation of the people's faith in their Goddess. At each Basilicom, there is a device called a Sharicite, which absorbs this energy, allowing it to be channeled for use by the Goddesses whenever they must transform into their HDD forms to fight for their people during times of crisis, while also serving as a means to measure the amount of Shares a CPU is receiving. Due to her atrocities, the people of Tari lost faith in their Goddess, and eventually the country fell into ruin as their shares were lost. We call this historical event 'The Great Crash'."

"Just prior to her return two years ago, we fought a brief war against a fledgling new nation, called Eden, created by our enemies. They created a device that when combined with a Sharecite, was capable of stealing Share Energy. Though we managed to stop Eden, we failed to recognize the implications until it was too late. Soon after, Rei began her assault on Planeptune, and due to the use of Eden's device, Neptune was defeated and nearly killed, because her shares were being siphoned off and stolen from her. Eventually they managed to destroy the device, and after regaining their shares, worked together to put an end to Rei's rampage. I don't know how she regained her power so quickly after her defeat two years ago, however I can guarantee that her motive is revenge. And I can assure you she will be even more difficult to defeat this time around, especially since she isn't acting alone.

"But, Histoire?" started Neptune. "I remember Arfoire was the one who actually stripped Rei of her power, using the anticrystals. She claimed that Rei's plan to wreck the world wasn't going to work for her. So why is she suddenly working with her now?" "Rei must have made a deal with Arfoire to gain her partnership." IF surmised. "And from what we know about Arfoire from our various clashes with her, the most likely prize would be…" "Planeptune itself!" Histoire reasoned. "However, despite the fact that Planeptune may not see much battle in this war, it is still too risky to try and use Planeptune as a possible refugee camp. There's too much at risk. As always, the safety of our citizens is our top priority. In any case I must return to the Basilicom and contact the other three CPUs. We must warn them that war is upon us."

"Nepgear. I want you to stay with Shizuku and Nanashi. We don't know when the enemy will attack. However, as of right now, both are vulnerable while they are still recovering from their injuries. Protect them with your life! Understood?" "Yes!" Nepgear said as she watched her sister, IF, Compa and Histoire leave the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: A Desperate Plea for Help; Formation of the Allied Forces of Gamindustri (AFG)!**

 **Three Days Later…**

 **Deep Beneath Tokyo:**

"Did you manage to find anything useful, Arfoire?" said the image of Rei, who was currently discussing the next phase in the plan with her and Anonydeath. "No. The girl is surprisingly resilient for a mere human. The most I could get from her were a few memories from her childhood I managed to extract after she'd passed out."

"I told you before, my abilities would have been much more effective…" said Anonydeath. "While it's true that you could have easily hacked her mind, the fact is I had more important duties for you to take care of, such as hacking the minds of the majority of this planet's people. By the way, Arfoire. I'm assigning you to lead our troops when we invade." At that moment, the image shifted, showing a sea of millions of soldiers. "When I give the order, the Basilicoms will be destroyed, and then, you are to attack Gamindustri at once! It will be a four-pronged assault against all four nations!" "But that would mean the destruction of…!" Arfoire said, suddenly getting angry.

"Planeptune?!" Rei asked. "What of it?! I could care less about your petty desire for a piece of the pie! And you _will_ follow my orders, Arfoire! Otherwise, I will kill you myself! As soon as our enemies finish their war conference, we will begin our invasion of Gamindustri! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

As the image flickered out, ending the transmission, Arfoire screamed in fury as she launched a projectile at the screen, destroying it, and then stormed out of the room. "Damn you!" Arfoire said in anger as she headed towards the dungeons, formulating a plan to sabotage Rei's operation due to her betrayal.

 **Rei's Throne Room**

"Now…before I begin our invasion, I think it would be a good idea to send these photos to our dear Nanashi and Shizuku…so they have even more incentive to get stronger, and entertain me…" Rei said as she forwarded the horrifying images Nanashi's cell phone.

 **Planeptune Central Hospital**

"You should be good for release in a day, Nanashi." Compa said before leaving to tend to her next patient. "Well, that's a relief. I'm about bored out of my mind from being stuck here for a week…huh?"

"What is it, Nanashi-kun?" Shizuku and Nepgear asked as they noticed Nanashi was staring at his cell phone, a look of horror and anger suddenly appearing on his face. "Shizuku, come look at this…" Nanashi said.

As Shizuku and Nepgear came over to see what Nanashi was looking at, their mouths dropped open in a mixture of shock, horror and anger as they saw the images, which depicted several cities, completely destroyed, people lying dead in the streets. Tokyo numbered among the cities reduced to rubble, and wouldn't even have been recognizable if it wasn't for the majestic Mt. Fuji in the distance. At the bottom of the last image was a note.

 _Use this as incentive to get stronger, Nanashi and Shizuku. I look forward to being entertained once you achieve a new power…_

 _Rei Ryghts, The Goddess who shall punish Gamindustri_

Nanashi's could feel himself boiling over with rage as he read and re-read the note and signature. Shizuku felt the same way, the senseless death and destruction of millions of people and cities was beyond despicable. Nepgear herself was horrified by the images she saw. "Is that your world?!" she asked. "That's horrible!"

"Damn you, Rei!" Nanashi cursed in fury as he shut the cell phone off, unable to look at the appalling images anymore, as he thought to himself. "I will never, ever forgive you! You won't get away with this! And I won't be your source of entertainment either! I promise you! I will defeat you, Rei Ryghts!"

"We ought to show Histoire what we just saw!" Neptune said. "You can do it, Nepgear." Nanashi said handing his cell phone to her, tears flowing down his cheeks as he was overcome with emotion. "I can't bear to see those images anymore!" "I understand, Nanashi." Nepgear said as she contacted Histoire.

"Huh? Nepgear? I'm just about to start the war meeting. This better be important."

"Take a look at these images, Histoire." Nepgear said as she showed Histoire the gruesome and horrifying images that had been sent to Nanashi's cell phone. Histoire's eyes widened at the sight of the carnage. "My, gosh! What in Gamindustri is this?! I've never seen such horrific images before!"

"These were sent to Nanashi's phone by Rei Ryghts herself. I believe it was an attempt to goad them into a rage-filled frenzy. She even wrote a message." Nepgear said, showing the message on the bottom of the screen. "That sadistic and evil woman!" Histoire said in disgust, absolutely appalled at the sight of the senseless death and destruction in the images before her.

"All the more reason we must train them, and in more ways than one." Nepgear said. "I agree, we must train them, not just in combat, but in emotion control as well, we cannot risk the possibility of them getting themselves killed by falling for such a cheap tactic. In any case, I need to begin the meeting. Don't forget, you're duty is to protect them at all costs. Inform Shizuku that I have decided to grant her audience to speak to everyone here. Please standby until I send the signal to begin the transmission." Histoire said as her image vanished, leaving Nepgear to try to comfort the two who were clearly distraught due to the horrific images they'd seen.

 **Planeptune General Assembly Hall**

"Thank you for responding to my summons, everyone." Histoire said, addressing everyone present, who included Neptune, Noire, Blanc, Vert, Uni, Rom and Ram, IF, Compa, and about fifty other officials from each of the four nations. "The reason I called you all here is as follows. Recent events that have transpired here in Planeptune have given us reason to believe that Gamindustri may face grave danger!"

"Approximately a week ago, Neptune and her friends discovered two people who had been gravely wounded. A boy and a girl. Judging from what they told us, it quickly became apparent that they were not of this world. In other words, they were not of Gamindustri, nor from the Hyper Dimension in which Gamindustri is located. They claim that, prior to finding themselves in this world, they had been attacked by a woman who fits the description of one of Gamindustri's most powerful and dangerous enemies. In addition, the boy claims that over the past few nights, he experienced nightmares, which he believes to have been premonitions, in which he witnessed his friends back in his world being attacked by another who, once again, resembles one our enemies."

"When I showed them images of their suspected assailants, they confirmed their identities. And then, just before the start of our meeting, the woman who attacked them sent some horrifying images to the boy's cell phone, along with a note, complete with her signature, in order to provoke them. The images in question, which were shown to me as well, were proof of senseless death and destruction back in his world, cities were destroyed, and thousands, if not millions of people had been killed. They showcased an apocalyptic wasteland. And the fact that they confirmed their attackers' identities to be one and the same as those of two of our greatest enemies leads me to conclude that war may be upon us. The identities of these two enemies are none other than Arfoire...and Rei Ryghts! Goddess of the ancient nation of Tari, who nearly destroyed Planeptune two years ago!"

"I have no idea how she managed to regain such power in so short a time, however, it is my hypothesis that the reason she invaded the world in question was to build an army, most likely of unwilling slaves who have been forcibly brainwashed into complete loyalty. Judging from the evidence we have, her motives are most definitely revenge, and she may have come across the idea of forging an army, due to the fact that, even with all her power, she was still defeated by a few CPUs and their candidates!

"At this moment, our enemy is preparing for an invasion. In order to counter her, I would like to propose the formation of an allied force, a volunteer army made up of CPUs and their candidates, their allies, and citizens and officials from our four nations, as well as the Ultra Dimension, who I have already contacted and who have agreed to offer their support!"

"And now, I would like to present Shizuku Tokikaze, who wishes to request our aid in liberating her dying world, and has offered to aid us in the war effort!" Histoire said, as she sent the signal to Nepgear.

 **Planeptune Central Hospital**

"Oh, that's Histoire's signal!" Nepgear said. "Are you ready, Shizuku?" "Yes." Shizuku said with determination as Nepgear pressed the switch, beginning the transmission.

 **Planeptune General Assembly Hall**

Everyone watched as the image of a young fair-skinned woman with lilac hair and jade-green eyes, wearing a white, frilly Lolita dress, appeared before them.

"Greetings, everyone. My name is Shizuku Tokikaze. I come from a planet called Earth. Our planet has been taken over by a tyrant! She has destroyed our cities, tortured my friends, killed millions of people and enslaved the rest to use as loyal soldiers to carry out what amounts to nothing more than outright genocide and destruction in a petty revenge war. My people are suffering. Dying. This is our most desperate hour. You are my world's only hope for survival. I beg of you, please lend us your aid?!" Shizuku finished this by bowing before the assembly.

"If anyone remains in doubt of the validity of this young woman's claims, here is the proof I mentioned before." Histoire said. "Be warned, these images may shock you. Anger you. Terrify you. They may even traumatize you. But I feel it is necessary to show what may very well be our own world's fate as well, should we choose to ignore the warning signs we've been given thus far..."

At that moment, the images that had been sent to Nanashi by Rei Ryghts, and subsequently forwarded to Histoire by Nepgear, appeared in the background, leading to gasps of horror and disgust.

"How horrible" said Vert. Vert was a busty young woman with long curled light blond hair, with long bangs neatly framing her face, and blue-grey eyes. She wore an emerald green dress with gold markings that showed off her rather large breasts. On her hands, she wore a pair of loose light green and white gloves and along the top part of her skirt, she wore a big peach-colored bow. Around her neck she wore a big piece of white collar with green lining around the bottom and a very thin white cloth connecting the dress and neck piece together. At the center was a gold circular piece with a small blue gem in the center and tiny red ribbon with gold in the center.

"Disgusting!" asked Noire. Noire had long jet-black hair tied in long pigtails with a pair of black and blue ribbon, and red eyes. She wore a fancy dress consisting of dark blue, white, red, and small amounts of gold lining and buttons. The dress part covered a red with black spiked lining cloth while the breast part was white, along with the skirt which had black lining on both layers. Behind this was a blue bow, matching a smaller one worn around her neck attached to a black and white collar. In the center was a gold piece that was similar to a bustier.

"That evil bitch!" shouted Blanc. Blanc was a short girl with short sandy-brown colored hair reaching her neck and dull blue eyes. On the top of her head she wore a big white cap with light blue ruffles and a brown and gold under and center piece. She wore a white dress with dark brown lining and markings on it. Around her neck was a light blue choker with a single white stripe in the middle and blue gem/badge in the center. She also wore powder blue sandals with a white ribbon around her right leg.

"Absolutely unforgivable!" Neptune said.

"I don't wanna look anymore...!" Rom said, as Ram comforted her older twin sister, who was visibly shaking as a result the horrifying images. Rom was the elder of the Blancs younger twin sisters. She had shoulder length brown hair and dark blue eyes. She wore a winter jacket over plain gray and white overall dress. Rom's jacket was pastel blue, and had puffed sleeves and a frilled center part with many golden buttons, a collar with a big bow and six puffballs strategically placed. At the ends of the cuff was white fur lining and a big golden button. She wore a cap like Blanc's and had boots resembling her jacket. She also wore a pink purse over her left shoulder.

Ram was the younger of Blancs younger twin sisters. She had brown hair that was longer than her sister's, going down her back and reaching her chest. Like her sister, her eyes were dark blue. Ram wore a pastel pink winter coat over a plain gray and white overall dress. Ram's coat had puffed sleeves and a frilled white center part with many golden buttons, with a big light blue bow on the collar and six puffballs strategically placed. At the ends of the cuff was white fur lining and a big golden button. She wore a cap like Blanc's and has boots with a similar color scheme with her coat. She also wore a light blue purse over her right shoulder.

"How could she?!" Uni said, gritting her teeth in disgust. Uni was Noire's younger sister. She had long, jet-black hair that reached her chest, similar to that of her sister, which she wore in twintails, held together with light blue and black ribbons. Like her sister, Uni's eyes were also red, though hers were darker in comparison, instead resembling a shade of burgundy. She wore a black dress with milky blue lining with a belt-like accessory connecting into a bow behind her. A large circle piece with white details connected the collar and the dress. She wore long fingerless black gloves with milky blue details, and wore similarly detailed boots.

"I feel like I'm going to throw up..." IF said.

"Go ahead...I won't look...!" Compa said, reaching for a waste basket and setting it in front of IF.

"This is the reality of Earth Dimension. Histoire continued in a grim tone. "And if we do not act, this may very well become our reality as well."

After a few moments of debate amongst the delegates, they came to a conclusion. The first to stand was Noire. "After much debate, I, Noire, CPU of Lastation, hereby pledge my support."

Next to stand was Blanc. "I, Blanc, CPU of Lowee, pledge my support as well."

Next to stand was Vert "I, Vert, CPU of Leanbox, shall also pledge my support.

Finally, Neptune stood up. "I, Neptune, CPU of Planeptune, obviously pledge my support to this cause, especially given that my nation is the one proposing this alliance, and the fact that I consider this young woman and her friend, Nanashi, to be my friends as well. And I couldn't possibly ignore a friend in need."

"Thank you, Neptune." Histoire said. "If everyone is in agreement, then I hereby formally and officially declare the formation of the AFG: The Allied Forces of Gamindustri!"

After a minute, the room erupted in applause and approval. "Thank you..." Shizuku said tearfully.

"Thank you, Shizuku." Histoire said as Shizuku stood up and her image disappeared.

"The enemy of Earth and the enemy of Gamindustri are one and the same!" Histoire continued. "So it's obvious what we must do! We must save not just Gamindustri, but Earth as well! We must win this war! We _will_ win this war! And we will defeat Rei Ryghts! We will stop her plans of mass genocide and global annihilation! We will not fail! Because if we do, Earth, Gamindustri, and even the Ultra Dimension will cease to exist! So we have no choice but to win! For the sake of the citizens and people of all our worlds! All who are in agreement, take up your arms and join us in battle! Failure is NOT and option! We will emerge victorious!"

Histoire finished her speech as the entire assembly erupted in applause and approval.

"Thank you, everyone!" Histoire said. "Registration forms can be found near the entrance. Take them to your respective Basilicoms and reproduce them in mass quantities. We must spread the word to every citizen in your respective nations, that way, if they so choose, they can register to join our Alliance and defend Gamindustri from these invaders! Registration is already well underway in the Ultra Dimension. Registration here begins now. And now, I hereby declare this meeting adjourned!"

 **Planeptune Central Hospital**

Nepgear switched off her N-Gear and confirmed the result. "The Allied Forces' Army has been approved." Nepgear informed them. "I promise we will save your world! Before we can do so, however, we will need to contend with the coming invasion of Gamindustri." Hearing this, Nanashi and Shizuku nodded, happy that they had won Gamindustri's support. "I understand." Nanashi said. "Thank you…" Shizuku said, sobbing. "Please pass this request onto Histoire, Nepgear-san." Nanashi said.

"Please." Nepgear said. "I've no need for formalities. Just Nepgear is fine. Anyways, what is this request you have for Histoire, Nanashi?" "I want to begin training as soon as possible." Nanashi said seriously. "As we are now, we will only be in your way. We need to begin training in order to awaken our true potential. Until then, I'm afraid we will be unable to participate in the coming battle." "I understand." Nepgear said. "Know this, however." Nanashi continued. "Even if we are unable to lend our strength during the Hyper Dimension campaign, I promise you. We will awaken our powers by the time we move to retake my world." "Very well." Nepgear said, smiling. I shall pass along this request to Histoire for you." "Thank you." Nanashi said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Lies, Treachery and Deceit; A Four-Pronged Assault on Gamindustri!**

At the very moment Histoire concluded the meeting adjourned, as a young woman, a recent addition to the Basilicom staff named Kyoko, burst into the room. "Lady Histoire! Urgent news!" said Kyoko, who had medium-length, violet hair and blazing blue eyes.

"Enemy forces have been spotted two miles outside of Haneda City and are razing the countryside." Kyoko said. "A group of farmers and mercenaries are currently engaging them as we speak, though they are heavily outnumbered and their weapons are inferior to those of the enemy. Please send reinforcements at once."

"What's the status of the situation of Haneda City?!" Histoire asked in alarm. "The reports seem to be accurate, said a young woman with long black hair, and dark gray eyes, named Lilith, who just so happened to be another recent addition to the staff. The scanner has displayed a force of several hundred soldiers engaged in combat with a small militia of about a hundred Planeptunian soldiers.

"I See." Histoire said, a look of absolute seriousness on her fade that did little to hide her growing disgust and anger at Rei's actions. "Thank you for your promptness. You are dismissed. I will see to it that Rei Ryghts pays for her crimes." Histoire suddenly turned to the black-haired woman. "As for you, please go inform our local militia of what is going on and have them report back to me. Yes, ma'am, said the woman."

"Thank you, Lady Histoire." The two of them said in unison as they left the room. Unseen to anyone else, however, as they exited the room, a knowing and malicious smile formed Kyoko's face as she nodded to the black-haired woman, who disappeared down the hallway, before ducking into an empty storage room, and pressing a button on her watch, as an image of a very familiar person appeared.

"The plan is a success, Rei-sama. Thanks to Lilith and myself, we have successfully fooled those heathens into believing Haneda City is under attack. Lilith is currently going to pass along Histoire's message to the Basilicom's own militia. I will notify you as soon as Lilith returns and the CPUs, CPU Candidates, the local Militia and their allies are safely out of the way." Kyoko said. "Of course there will still be the Basilicom's defense force, but we can deal with them easily.

"Very good, Kyoko." Said Rei Ryghts. I knew it was a good idea to plant the seven of you as spies in the central Basilicom of each nation. Of course, I would prefer you not refer to me by my real name. It's so lame. I told you time and again I need something more Goddessy to strike fear in people's hearts."

"But you haven't given us any good ideas of an alternative name by which to call you. And besides, at this point, I think pretty much everyone in each of the worlds involved in your compaign now quakes in terror at the mere mention of your real name." Kyoko said.

"Maybe in Gamindustri, and its counterpart in the Ultra Dimension. But here on Earth, not so much." Rei said. "Uh…I'm pretty sure after blowing up half the cities on that pathetic dung heap, the citizenry has become even more terrified of you than those Gamindustri heathens, Milady." Kyoko pointed out.

"Whatever." Rei responded indifferently. "In any case, when you feel the security is low enough, send the signal, then get out of the Basilicom and detonate the explosives I had you plant throughout the building. Then return to my palace at once to receive your promotion and your next assignment." "Wait…did you just say promotion?" Kyoko asked.

"I did indeed." Rei stated matter-of-factly. "You have certainly proven your loyalty to me. Besides, as the leader of the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse, you are already among the most powerful among my elite warriors. Therefore, I believe a reward is due. In any case, after carrying out your current assignment, contact me immediately. Then, I want you to return at once to receive your receive your promotion, along with your next assignment."

"Thank you, Milady." Kyoko said, bowing, as she ended the transmission.

 **Meanwhile…**

 **General Assembly Hall**

"You heard that, right?!" Histoire said. "Neptune, I want you to lead our local militia to meet these cowards who dared to mount a surprise attack on our citizens. IF, I'm assigning you to be the head of intelligence for Planeptune and the Vice-Commander for this particular battle. Noire, Blanc, Vert, Uni, Rom and Ram, please return to your respective nations and defend your people. Backup will arrive from the Ultra Dimension momentarily. Move out!"

As everyone departed, Histoire thought silently, "Good luck, Neptune…and be safe"

 **Fifteen Minutes Later…**

 **Outside Haneda City**

"Compa, are you alright." IF asked, noticing the nervous expression on her best friends' face. "I guess I'm just a bit nervous." Compa said. "I mean, I know we've fought many tough battles of the past few years, but those were mostly local conflicts. Even the Eden incident can scarcely be considered a true war, since we managed to diffuse the situation before it escalated beyond a few small skirmishes."

"You're right." IF said. "Gamindustri hasn't seen true war since the end of the Console war that ushered in the now dissolved Friendship Treaty, which, as you know, forbade taking shares by force and began a new era of relative peace nearly three years ago. But this is a true war."

"That's right…" Compa said. "We're facing an enemy who's numbers and abilities are largely unknown, with the exception of Arfoire and Rei themselves. Honestly, I'm a bit frightened."

"Don't worry, Compa." IF said, smiling. "I'm positive we'll come out of this war alive." "I hope so…" Compa said.

"Still, there is one thing that is bothering me…" IF continued. "What's that, Iffy?" Compa asked. "Well, according to the map, we're practically at the location of the battlefield already. However, I haven't heard a single sound or seen anything remotely associated with a battle…"

Turning suddenly to Neptune, who hovered above them, she called out to her. "Any sign of the enemy, Neptune?!" "No!" Neptune said turning toward her. "In fact, this area doesn't look like it's been touched at all!" "Tch! I knew it…" IF said, a look of contemplation on her face.

"What is it, Iffy?" Neptune asked. "Do you think we were given the wrong coordinates?!"

"No." IF said. "And even if that were the case, I'm certain we'd still hear and see the signs of a battle nearby. That woman from before…and the one working the surveillance system...how come I've never seen either of them before today?!"

"Both she and the one who was working the surveillance system, started a month ago." Compa said. "Don't you remember, when Nep-Nep had requested help at the Basilicom, a few months earlier. Only two actually answered the call…"

"I see." IF said, before continuing. "Still, I can't help but feel there is something off about those two. For one thing, the first woman said there was an attack here, and then the other woman showed us so-called 'proof' of the report's validity. And yet, contrary to their report, there is literally nothing here. In other words, they blatantly lied to us, and the surveillance footage was most certainly faked."

"Wait! Are you trying to tell me you believe they are spies?!" Neptune asked. "But there's no way! If they were, they would never have passed our security measures, even after passing the aptitude test and mandatory background check required of all workers at every nation's Basilicom. Our system is supposed to be fool-proof, capable of sensing hostility among would-be spies, making such infiltration extremely difficult to achieve."

"They must have been sleeper agents." IF said in a grim tone. "Either that, or they have some ability that masks their powers and hostile auras. That's the only way they could have possibly bypassed the system, assuming my intuition is correct. And there is now plenty of evidence that practically proves my suspicions.

"We must hurry back to Planeptune City at once. Histoire may be in grave danger!" Even Neptune could not argue with that logic, and reiterated IF's statement by ordering her troops to head back to Planeptune City.

 **Meanwhile…**

 **Outside Planeptune City**

"The diversion was a success, Milady." Said Kyoko, standing on a hill overlooking Planeptune City, currently speaking to the image of Rei Ryghts. "What are your orders?"

"Finally! The time has come to launch our invasion of Hyper Dimension!" Rei said.

Suddenly, the plains surrounding Planeptune City were engulfed by a shimmering black veil as a sea of millions of Coalition soldiers appeared surrounding Planeptune City.

"Now, before we begin, I have a message I want the entirety of Gamindustri to hear…hack the system and put me through!" "Yes, Milady." Kyoko said as she scrambled the code to override Planeptune's communications.

 **Planeptune Basilicom**

"Histoire!" shouted one of the executives of Planeptune's Basilicon, a dutiful man named Gordon. "Enemy soldiers have suddenly appeared all throughout Gamindustri. All four nations' central cities have been completely surrounded by what could be more than 10 million soldiers each!"

"Wait, what about the situation in Haneda City?!" Histoire asked.

"Yeah…about that…" said a voice as they all turned to see an image of the basilicom worker from before, Kyoko, who's image was now displayed on every digital screen in Gamindustri, in all four nations. "I lied. There was NO attack on Haneda City. It was just a diversion intended to get your ugly, so-called goddess out of the way. What you saw on the scanner was merely an illusion created by one of my subordinates.

"And now I have a message from a true goddess, Lady Rei Ryghts herself! The goddess who shall punish you!" Suddenly Kyoko's image was replaced by that of Rei Ryghts.

All across Gamindustri, people gasped in horror as they immediately recognized the person in the image as the one who'd nearly toppled Planeptune nearly two years ago. Noire, Blanc and Vert stood in their respective Basilicoms in Lastation, Lowee and Leanbox respectively, glaring at the image before them, having already warned those in the Basilicom who remained unaware of the danger.

"Tremble in fear, people of Gamindustri! For the hour of reconing has arrived! We, the Coalition of Darkness, shall now begin your execution! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"It seems we've been had!" Histoire said. "Indeed!" said Gordon, just as the video screen reverted back to Kyoko.

"It's too late!" Kyoko said. "Gamindustri's fate has already been decided. But don't get too excited! Because in addition to being hopelessly outnumbered by enemy soldiers, your precious Basilicoms are about to be replaced by giant craters, courtesy of yours truly…!"

This statement caused everyone to gasp in horror. "Damn it!" Gordon shouted, as he turned to everyone in the room. "EVERYONE GET DOWN, NOW!" Slamming the red button, Gordon sent the distress signal directly to their allies in the Ultra Dimension, before grabbing Histoire, using his body as a shield to protect her just before the Basilicom erupted in flames.

 **Moments Before…**

 **Three Miles Outside Planeptune City**

"As Planeptune's militia raced toward Planeptune City, they suddenly saw a shimmering black veil appear as a sea of millions of soldiers suddenly appeared in the distance. "Oh no! We're too late!" Nepune said. "Everyone prepare for battle!"

Suddenly and with little warning, the Coalition army opened fire, as missiles were launched at them. "Take evasive action!" Neptune shouted. "Open fire!"

And so the first battle of the war began with a bang, the militia so preoccupied that they didn't even notice the fiery explosion in the distance as the recently repaired Planeptower, location of Planeptune's Basilicom, was obliterated, killing thousands of innocents, destroying the center of command and effectively halving what little strength a militia of ten thousand could ever have when faced with an army of millions….


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The CPUs in Crisis! The Elite Warriors: The Seven Swords of the Apocalypse!**

 **Eight minutes after the start of the invasion…**

 **Planeptune Basilicom, Ultra Dimension**

"Everyone listen to me!" shouded Histoire as she addressed everyone in the assembly room. "We've received a distress signal directly from our allies from the Hyper Dimension!"

"Everyone who has volunteered to join the AFG so far, please prepare for battle! We will depart in five minutes for the Hyper Dimension. Plutia, the guests of honor my counterpart spoke of are currently in Planeptune's Central Hospital in the Hyper Dimension, where Nepgear is guarding them. Please assist them in evacuating to our Basilicom, where they should be safe.

"After they are safely under our protection, I want you to return with Nepgear to assist Neptune and Peashy, who I'm assigning to directly aid her upon our arrival. Be careful out there, we still don't yet know the true extent of our enemy's strength."

 **Same time…**

 **Rei's Throne Room:**

"Kyoko 'The Valkyrie', you have done your job well." Rei said, as Kyoko, along with six other young women now knelt before her, bowing their heads. "Therefore, as a reward for your undying loyalty and your accomplishments thus far, I hereby promote you to the rank of General."

"Thank you, Milady." Kyoko said, bowing her head further "I am honored...!"

"Now rise. My dear Seven Swords of the Apocalypse!"

The seven young women stood up as Rei continued. "Electra and Gaela, go to Lastation and confront CPU Black Heart and CPU Candidate Black Sister respectively. Aqua, you will go to Lastation and confront CPU Green Heart. Roxie, you go to Lowee and confront CPU White Heart. Meanwhile, Flannery, you will also go to Lowee and confront their two CPU Candidates. Kyoko, you will go to Planeptune and confront CPU Purple Heart. As for you, Lilith, you will go with Kyoko to Planeptune and observe the battle, in order to prepare a strategy for our future battles.

"You will show them no mercy! Kill them all! Your mission: exterminate the CPUs and CPU candidates! Now go forth, and do not disappoint me…"

"It shall be done, Milady." Kyoko said, as she and her comrades left the room to prepare for battle. "Be afraid, CPU Purple Heart!" she thought savagely, licking her lips in anticipation. "For I am your executioner! And I swear to you, I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart! Hahahaha!"

 **Meanwhile…**

 **Planeptune Battlefield**

Neptune let out a battle cry as she lead the charge against the overwhelming numbers of enemy combatants. "BLAZE BREAK!" Neptune yelled as she launched a wave of fire at the enemy, destroying another tank. Suddenly, Neptune sensed incoming danger as she swiftly turned just in time to block a vicious sword strike from her new opponent.

"You're…!" Neptune said as she immediately recognized her opponent, before quickly regaining her composure. "So Iffy was right all along. You were indeed with the enemy…" Neptune said as she quickly dodged another strike then leaped back, putting some distance between her and her opponent.

"I am a member of Rei's elite warriors, the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse!" Kyoko said. "I am their leader and General for the Coalition Army, Kyoko, "The Valkyrie"! I have come here to slay you!"

Neptune scowled. "Is that so?!" she said determinedly as she charged. "Tough talk for a lowly subordinate who was sent here to spy on us! Just who do you think you are?!"

"Hehe! A lowly subordinate, you say?!" Kyoko asked as she released her battle aura, causing Neptune, who suddenly stopped mid-charge, to shudder at the overwhelming power, not to mention the killing intent coming from her.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me before?!" Kyoko shouted. "I am Kyoko, 'The Valkyrie'! Leader of the Seven Swords and General of the Coalition! And the one who shall now end your life…!"

Suddenly, Kyoko charged at Neptune with breakneck speed. "So fast!" Neptune thought as she barely managed to avoid being skewered, then quickly parried as Kyoko grabbed her other sword and swung with all her might. At that momemt, Neptune could feel the overwhelming strength and power coming from her, as she was sent flying backwards, before quickly recovering and standing up, now in a defensive stance, as she thought to herself, "What power?! How did she managed to gain so much power in such short a time?! Or did she already possess this much power to begin with, and was simply hiding it until now?!"

"What's more, she said her group was called the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse! Does that mean there are six others as strong as she is?! If so that must mean Noire, Blanc, Vert, Uni, Rom and Ram…all of them must be under attack at this very moment!"

 **Rei's Throne Room…**

"Finally…it has begun! Ahahaha!" Rei said, as she watched the battle unfold with great interest.

 **Ultra Dimension…**

Huh? Where am I?" Histoire said, as she awoke. "Oh, good, you're finally awake!" said a voice as she turned to see a smaller version of herself staring back at her. "Wait, am I in Ultra Dimension?" "After we received your distress signal, I used my ability to force-teleport you here to our Basilicom to ensure your safety!" said UD Histoire as she addressed HD Histoire.

"Wait!" Histoire said, suddenly remembering what had transpired not long ago. "What's the status of Hyper Dimension?!"

"Unfortunately, according to reports, things aren't going so well." UD Histoire stated in a grim tone. "The enemy attacked before we could officially begin recruitment. Not only do they vastly outnumber Hyper Dimension's current fighting force, their efforts to defend against the invading army have been severely crippled by the destruction of each nation's central Basilicom."

"I see..." HD Histoire said.

"However, that's not all. According to the most recent reports, the CPUs and CPU Candidates are currently engaged in mortal combat with a mysterious group of seven incredibly powerful individuals who appeared without warning in midst of the battle, a battle in which the CPUs are currently losing."

"It seems we have severely underestimated the strength of our enemy, especially given the fact that the CPUs' deadly attackers are previously unknown entities. And while I have already sent the CPUs from our dimension as reinforcements, it is likely that their arrival will come too late to prevent the inevitable defeat of Hyper Dimension's CPUs by these so-called Seven Swords of the Apocalypse!"

"For all intents and purposes, Hyper Dimension has already fallen to the enemy. To prevent the worst case scenario, I'm afraid we have no choice but to evacuate the CPUs here to Ultra Dimension."

 **Hyper Dimension…**

"Blaze Break!" Neptune shouted as she attacked Kyoko with her flame-wrapped katana, only for Kyoko to parry, before lashing out with her foot, kicking Neptune away, before Kyoko shot forward, letting loose a small flurry of sword strikes. "Valkyrie's Blade Dance!" Kyoko shouted, as Neptune parried each strike, before lashing out with broad sweep of her katana, only for Kyoko to back flip away from her before once again launching herself at Neptune.

Neptune quickly parried as Kyoko spun like a whirlwind with her twin blades, before kicking Kyoko away as she then jumped, twisting in midair as she swung her sword like a guillotine, hoping to at least inflict a little damage.

"Hah!" Kyoko shouted as she brought her sword upward, parrying Neptune's attack, sending her skyward before following her as the two combatants now stared each other down, in midair, hundreds of feet above the battle below.

"NEPTUNE BREAK!."

"VALKYRIE'S CLEAVER!"

Both warriors charged at each other, their swords raised, both attempting to incapacitate the other…

 **Meanwhile…**

 **Planeptune Central Hospital**

Nepgear stood at the window with Nanashi and Shizuku, as they watched in horror as the battle unfolded in the distance. Indeed, they had been horrified when they saw the Basilicom explode, but now, they were equally horrified as they now saw Neptune in the the distance, currently in a vicious duel in midair with an unknown assailant.

Suddenly Nepgear's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. "Well, if it isn't Neppy, Jr.?"

Turning around, standing in the doorway was none-other than Iris Heart, HDD form of Plutia, standing in the doorway, grinning at them. "Plutia?!" Nepgear said in shock.

"It's been far too long." Iris Heart said before turning to Nanashi and Shizuku. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm afraid we haven't been introduced. My name is Iris Heart, Goddess of Planeptune in the Ultra Dimension. Might I ask yours?"

"My name's Nanashi." Nanashi said. "And this is Shizuku." "It's nice to meet you." Shizuku said. "A pleasure." Iris Heart said as a lewd smile suddenly appeared on her face, causing Shizuku to feel a bit uncomfortable as Iris Heart suddenly walked up to her as she circled her, checking her out.

"Shizuku, is it? What a lovely name…"

"Yes. _Quite_ lovely. Almost as lovely as my beloved Neppy, hehehe…"

"Um…Plutia...?" Nepgear suddenly interrupted, and both Nanashi and Shizuku noticed a hint of nervousness in her voice. "Perhaps we can save the, um…you know, for later? I'm certain you didn't come here just for a casual visit…right?"

"Awww, Neppy Jr." Iris Heart said, a fake pout on her voice as she turned back toward Nepgear. "You _wound_ me with your accusations… But alas, you do have a point."

"The reason I'm here is because Histoire sent me to retrieve our honored guests here and deliver them safely to our Basilicom in the Ultra Dimension. Afterwards, she wants you and I to return here to the Hyper Dimension to back up Neptune and Peashy, who already went ahead. And if necessary…evacuate them."

"Wait, Evacuate?!" Nepgear asked in surprise, suddenly worried.

"Surely you've already seen what is happening out there?" Iris Heart said, a serious look suddenly appearing on her face. "The enemy began their assault before we had a chance to mobilize our forces. Even with the CPUs on the battlefield, the enemy's numbers vastly outnumber the local militias of each nation."

"What's more, reports have come in that say each of the CPUs are currently fighting incredibly powerful opponents…and from what I've heard so far, they're not doing very well against these new adversaries."

"Besides, the chain of command has been dealt a serious blow, as all four nations' Central Basilicoms have been destroyed. I hate to be the one to have to say it, but I'm afraid that even with the backup we've brought with us, our chances of winning this battle are practically impossible. Especially with what is currently unfolding between the CPUs and their deadly opponents."

"Oh no…" Nepgear thought, as they prepared to leave. "Hold on Neptune! We'll be there soon. Please try to hold out until then…"

 **Planeptune Battlefield**

Neptune stood in midair, panting in exhaustion as she stood in a defensive stance, staring down her opponent, who stood before her, a confident smirk on her face.

"Where did all that confidence go from earlier, eh, Purple Heart?!" Kyoko taunted.

"You haven't even put a scratch on me yet! Don't tell me this is all you CPUs are capable of?!" "COME AT ME, PURPLE HEART! FIGHT ME WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"

"I'll show you just how superior my powers are compared to yours…"

"This is bad…" Neptune thought. "I barely have the strength to fight anymore. And yet, she hasn't even broken a swet!"

Suddenly, Kyoko got into an attack stance. "I see…" Kyoko said, grinning maliciously.

"If you won't make the first move, then I will! YAAH!" Kyoko let out a battle cry as she suddenly shot forward at breakneck speed, intent on impaling Neptune, who just barely managed to dodge the lethal strike. Then, spinning in a circle, Kyoko swung her sword, as Neptune parried, only for Kyoko to rear her head back than bash in into her own, causing her to cry out.

"Aaah! Neptune cried out, dazed from the blow to her skull as she recovered just in time to duck as Kyoko attempted to behead her, then tried to punch Kyoko in the stomach, only for Kyoko to catch her fist in her hand, digging her sharpened nails into her skin in the process, before bringing her sword down in an attempt to slice Neptune's arm off.

Neptune, however, managed to pull away just in time only to sense danger as Kyoko suddenly swung her sword upwards as Neptune attempted to dodge, but still ended up receiving a slash wound to her cheek.

Letting out a cry of defiance, Neptune swung her sword downwards, however, Kyoko simply stood there scowling, unimpressed as she casually raised her sword to block Neptune's strike.

"What?" Kyoko gloated. "Is that really all you've got?!"

Suddenly, Kyoko lashed out with her sword, inflicting a deep gash in Neptune's shoulder.

"Aaaah!" Neptune cried out as she felt the bite of Kyoko's blade.

"My, my…" Kyoko said, grinning sadistically. "Don't you look just lovely, covered in your own blood…!"

Neptune had at this point suffered multiple slash wounds and was bleeding profusely.

"This is insane!" Neptune thought frantically as she desperately tried to fend off her attacker.

"I haven't been able to hurt her at all! It's taking everything I've got just to defend myself!"

"These Seven Swords…they're too strong! I hate to admit it, but…we're outmatched! We can't win!"

"CROSS COMBINATION!" Neptune shouted as she once swung her sword in a desperate attempt to land an attack on the madwoman before her. Kyoko however, simply smirked as she sheathed one sword, then caught Neptune's attack with her bare hands! "What?!" Neptune yelled in shock and disbelief, as Kyoko used the momentary opening in Neptune's defense to knee her in the stomach.

"Gah!" Neptune cried out as the impact knocked the wind out of her. Kyoko suddenly did a midair summersault as she kicked Neptune hard in the face, sending her careening through several buildings. Then, before Neptune could even manage to recover, Kyoko suddenly intercepted her as she proceeded to pummel Neptune with her fists, laughing maniacally before kicking her in the stomach as hard as she could, cracking several ribs with the sheer force of her attack.

Neptune let out a shriek of pain as she was sent flying once again. Neptune had never felt such pain before, and she begged mentally for her opponent to stop. However, Kyoko wasn't finished yet, as she suddenly began moving across the sky at supersonic speeds, proceeding to kick Neptune back and forth across the sky like a limp ragdoll.

Each kick sent agonizing waves of pain coarsing through her body, and Neptune thought she was going to pass out from the pain. Kyoko then drew back her fist as she punched Neptune in the face, breaking her nose. Finally, Kyoko kicked Neptune skyward, before flash-stepping upward as she intercepted and kicked Neptune's still-flying form, sending her crashing to the streets below.

"Awww…hahahaha! It seems you're barely conscious." Kyoko said, slowly floating to the ground as she walked towards Neptune. "I must say, though. You've been a real disappointment. I mean, if this is truly the extent of the power of Gamindustri's CPUs, you may as well just surrender and hand Gamindustri over to us now! Not that that would save you, of course! It's over, Purple Heart! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Neptune's eyes widened as Kyoko now stood ominously above her, unsheathing her sword as she raised it high above her head, as she prepared to deliver the finishing blow.

"Dammit!" Neptune thought desperately as she tried in vain to move her injured and broken body, completely immobilized from the searing pain caused by multiple fractured bones and slash wounds. "I can't move my body! Move, dammit! MOVE! YOU HAVE TO MOVE!"

"NEPTUNA!" At that moment, a familiar figure appeared and kicked Kyoko away from Neptune, sending her crashing into a nearby, collapsed building. "P-Ko?!" Neptune asked, as Peashy now stood between Neptune and Kyoko, just as Neptune's transformation broke from the sheer damage she'd taken from Kyoko, reverting her to her human form.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Kyoko suddenly roared as she stood up, furious at her new challenger for both interfering with her attempt to kill Neptune, as well as for daring to kick her.

"My name is Yellow Heart!" Peashy said, glaring angrily at Kyoko as the two stared each other down, preparing to duel. "And I won't let you hurt Neptuna anymore!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: The Fall of Gamindustri; Rei's Challenge**

"My name is Yellow Heart!" Peashy said, glaring angrily at Kyoko as the two stared each other down, preparing to duel. "And I won't let you hurt Neptuna anymore!"

"P-ko..." Neptune said weakly, as Peashy turned to her. "Neptuna...can you move, even in spite of your injuries?"

"If I could, I wouldn't be lying here in the middle of the battlefield, now, would I?!" Neptune said.

"I see..." Peashy said. "In any case, additional backup is on the way. Please, allow me to fight in your stead."

"Wait! P-Ko! You're not seriously planning on fighting her, are you?!" Neptune asked.

"Do you honestly believe the enemy is going to just sit around while we await their arrival?!" Peashy asked. "If I don't fight, we'll both end up dead before our help can arrive."

"Are you two done yet?!" Kyoko said.

"Hmph!" Yellow Heart turned to Kyoko, glaring at her. "I told you my name. Now identify yourself, fiend?!" "I am Kyoko, 'The Valkyrie', leader of the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse, and General for the Coalition. "Now if you'd kindly step aside so I may finish off that CPU behind you...her severed head is going to make a lovely addition to my trophy room! Ahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Why, you...?!" Yellow Heart growled angrily, was suddenly engulfed in an aura that exuded pure, righteous anger. "Kyoko, was it? Do you honestly think I would let you do that?! Quite the opposite! I'm going to make you pay for what you've done!"

"Oh...?" Kyoko sneered. "Then, bring it on, naïve little CPU!"

"NEPTUNE IS MY FRIEND!" Yellow Heart suddenly charged at Kyoko, who now sported a crazed and terrifying slasher smile as she said, "You think I'm going to pay?! On the contrary! You're going to pay for interfering, you damn brat! Mere children need to learn their place when dealing with adults!"

Kyoko suddenly swung her sword at Peashy, who blocked it with her metal-clawed gauntlet, then drew back her fist. "YOU HURT MY FRIEND!" Peashy Roared angrily as she punched Kyoko squarely in the face, sending her flying. But Kyoko quickly recovered, unleashing an explosion of energy as she screamed in rage.

"YOU DAMN BRAT! NO ONE PUNCHES ME IN THE FACE AND LIVES! I'M GOING TO KILL OU, YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Kyoko suddenly grabbed her other sword as she suddenly shot forward and launched a barrage of attacks at Peashy, who was suddenly forced on the defensive.

"BLADE STORM!" Kyoko roared as she unleashed a vicious flurry of sword strikes so fast that Peashy could barely track them, much less block or even dodge them. "BUZZSAW!" Kyoko shouted as she brought down both swords, imbuing them in lightning, giving them the deadly edge of a chainsaw, which began to chip away at Peashy's metal-clawed gauntlet.

"Aah?!" Peashy cried out in alarm as she jumped away from Kyoko, trying to put some distance between Kyoko. However, that was exactly what Kyoko was hoping she'd do, as Peashy jumped into her trap, a water bubble engulfing her and cutting off her oxygen, as Peashy struggled to get free (and to breathe). "Peashy…" Neptune cried out mentally.

"The reason I am the strongest of the Seven Swords is not just that I am the most skilled with the blade, nor is it my raw power, which is more than twice that of the others." Kyoko said, turning back to Neptune. "It is because in addition to those factors, I have the ability to utilize all the powers of the other six Swords simultaneously. That is my ability. I call this power 'Channel'. Now…where were we? Oh, that's right! We were at the part where I behead you!"

Suddenly, Peashy finally broke free from her prison, and charged at Kyoko. However, this time Kyoko was ready for her, and Neptune was forced to watch as she reached into her left sleeve and pulled out a dagger, before tossing it backwards towards Peashy, where it lodged itself in the young Goddess's stomach. For a moment, Peashy realized what had happened, her eyes swimming out of focus and wide as saucers as she coughed up blood. Then, her transformation breaking, she fell. "P-KO!" Neptune screamed in horror as Kyoko roared with laughter and raised her sword again.

"MIRAGE DANCE!" shouted a voice, as once again, Kyoko was blasted aside and Nepgear appeared alongside Plutia, both in their HDD forms. "FIGHTING VIPER!" shouted Iris Heart as she charged Kyoko, who parried just in time. "Go, Nepgear! Take Neptune and Peashy and get out of here! I'll hold her off so you can escape!" "Got it!" Nepgear shouted.

"HA!" Kyoko shouted as she suddenly unleashed an explosion of energy, sending Iris Heart flying backwards, as she charged towards Nepgear. "Do you seriously think I'll let you escape?! HUH, PURPLE SISTER?!"

Kyoko suddenly cried out as her momentum was suddenly stopped, her left leg having been ensnared by Iris Heart's whipsword, as she was suddenly flung with extreme force into the side of a collapsed building opposite of Iris Heart to Nepgear's location.

"Perhaps you did not hear me before!" Iris Heart said, glaring at Kyoko. "I am your opponent!"

"Heh!" Kyoko suddenly laughed, a terrifying laugh that disturbed even Iris Heart. "For now…" Kyoko said. "After I dispose of you I can finish executing Planeptune's Goddess!"

"Oh, is that so?!" Iris Heart said, glaring angrily at Kyoko, fire in her eyes as a result of the direct threat against her beloved Neppy! "I'm assuming you're the one who's wholly responsible for Neppy's injuries, am I wrong?!" "That's right." Kyoko said proudly.

"In that case, I won't hold back!" Iris Heart said. "If you do, I'll slaughter you!" Kyoko roared as the two warriors clashed with the ferocity of two angry lions attempting to rip each other apart.

"I'm afraid you've made a grave error in judgment, brat!" Iris Heart said, as she kicked Kyoko away from her. "NO ONE ATTACKS OR THREATENS MY BELOVED NEPPY AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!"

"Oooh…I'm terrified, now!" Kyoko said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she and Iris Heart stared each other down.

"What's your name, CPU?!"

"CPU Iris Heart. Goddess of Planeptune in the Ultra Dimension. Now just who the hell are you?!"

"I am Kyoko, 'The Valkyrie'! Leader of the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse! Our mission is to exterminate the CPUs! And I assure you, none of the other Goddesses across Gamindustri are in any better shape than your two friends back there!"

Indeed, Planeptune was the only nation that was still engaged with the enemy. The other three nations' CPUs and CPU Candidates had already fallen to their respective attackers, and thus, had already been evacuated to Planeptune's central hospital in the Ultra Dimension, where they were in critical condition.

The two warriors charged at each other, as Kyoko swung her sword upwards, only for Iris Heart to parry her attack. Iris Heart quickly spun around and landed a kick to Kyoko's stomach, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her back, before bringing her sword down like a guillotine. But Kyoko quickly recovered and dodged the attack, then swung her sword horizontally, attempting to cleave Iris Heart in half. Iris Heart, however, expected this and blocked the attack, then jumped up, summersaulting over Kyoko and with a quick spin, swung her sword, which Kyoko blocked with her own, then kicked Iris Heart away from her.

"Hah!" Iris Heart yelled as she swung her whipsword, to which Kyoko simply smirked, casually side-stepping out of the way as she cought Iris Heart's attack with her bare hand.

"Hehe!" Kyoko suddenly grinned maniacally. "YAAAH!" Kyoko suddenly yanked on Iris Heart's blade, pulling her in. "TAKE THIS!" Kyoko roared as she planted her foot in Iris heart's fate, sending her flying as she roared with laughter. "COME ON! WAS THAT SCARY ENTRANCE JUST FOR SHOW?! SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT, IRIS HEART?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

However, upon recovering from the attack, a portal suddenly opened up behind Iris Heart, who responded, "I'm afraid we'll have to finish this another time! My main goal here wasn't to defeat you, but, rather, to buy Nepgear time to get Neptune and Peashy out of here. And now that I've completed my task, it is time for me to return to the Ultra Dimension. You win this round. However, one day soon, I promise you will regret making an enemy of Gamindustri. Farewell."

Kyoko realized the implication of what was about to happen, and gritting her teeth in rage, she charged furiously at Iris Heart. "OH, NO YOU DON'T?! YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY THAT EASILY!" Kyoko roared.

"Sorry, I'm afraid I just did…" Iris Heart stated matter-of-factly as she vanished, returning to the Ultra Dimension. "DAMN YOU!" Kyoko shreaked.

"It seems she got away…" said a voice from above her. "Lilith?!" Kyoko said looking up towards her. "Don't worry, Kyoko-sama. We'll have our chance to kill them later. Please be patient until then. Anger only clouds your judgment."

"Just who the hell do you think you're talking to, Lilith?!" Kyoko said as she shot her a death glare. "I'm sorry. Please, forgive me." Lilith said. "Very well. So long as you remember your place and rank! Now then, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I must contact Lady Rei, immediately."

 **Five minutes later...**

 **Planeptune Central Hospital**

 **Ultra Dimension**

"Let's get these girls to the ER immediately! These people are seriously injured!" shouted the head nurse as one by one, the Goddesses were hauled into the Emergency Room. Meanwhile, Histoire sat in a corner, floating in mid-air as usual, meditating on the catastrophic events of that day.

The battle barely lasted an hour, and yet, Gamindustri had been devastated! Not only that, the Goddesses themselves had been utterly defeated and nearly killed during the battle! It certainly didn't help matters that they'd been deceived by infiltrators, and were caught unprepared for the invasion as a result. The they had yet to begin consolidating their forces, and the central Basilicoms of each nation destroyed, effectively crippling the fledgling AFG's chain of command.

As a result, Gamindustri was now in the hands of the Coalition, and their shares had taken a serious nosedive. The AFG had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the enemy, and morale had hit an all-time low! What's more, during the battle, reports had been come in that the CPUs had been confronted by a group of seven extraordinarily powerful women calling themselves the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse, and that, whoever these mysterious warriors were, it was they who were solely responsible for the Goddesses' grievous injuries.

"Histoire?!" shouted a familiar voice as Histoire was broken out of her meditative trance and turned to see Nepgear running towards her. "Nepgear!" Histoire said. "How is Neptune?!" Nepgear asked.

"I don't know just yet." Histoire responded. "Head nurse, Ayame has yet to report on the extent of her injuries! What I can say, however, is that these so-called Seven Swords of the Apocalypse have proven themselves to be a grave threat, and therefore we must adjust our strategy to accommodate this new enemy! It is imperative that they be dealt with as our top priority!"

"That's right, Histoire!" said a voice as they turned to see Iris Heart standing there, a serious look on her face. Iris Heart had suffered a few cuts and bruises, had a black eye, and her arm had been bandaged, she otherwise appeared to be relatively alright. "I'm afraid we greatly underestimated the true power of these new enemies. When Nepgear and I arrived on the scene, the enemy was seconds away from beheading Neptune. Peashy herself had also fallen, having been stabbed with a throwing knife!"

"I immediately ordered Nepgear to take the two of them and return to the Ultra Dimension, while I covered for her by keeping the enemy busy. As I did, it quickly became apparent that what we were dealing with was no mere run-of-the-mill enemy subordinate of the Coalition. This woman possessed serious power!"

"She claimed her name was Kyoko, 'The Valkyrie', and that she was the leader of the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse, and a General for the Coalition. Either way, as I clashed with her, it soon became apparent just how powerful she was! Truth be told, judging by the extent of Neptune's injuries and from the sheer power I experienced while fighting her, I think it's safe to say these Seven Swords of the Apocalypse utterly thrashed the CPUs into near-oblivion! Not only were they able to catch us completely off guard, but their combined power far exceeded anything we've ever faced before, with the exception of Rei Ryghts herself!"

"I'm going to be blunt, but I think it's safe to say that if we hadn't evacuated the CPUs when we did, Neppy and the others would have perished right then and there, the AFG would have been slaughtered in its infancy and Gamindustri would have been completely annihilated! The only reason why Gamindustri is still intact, despite being in the hands of the enemy, is due to the CPUs having been saved from the brink of death!"

"My word?!" Histoire said, absolutely shocked by the horrific description of just how bad the situation had become. "The situation is indeed dire if that is truly what happened!"

"Still, despite the overwhelming difference in power, I still believe we can win!" Iris Heart suddenly said. "Don't forget, though the vastly superior power of the Seven Swords is partly to blame for our defeat, a large part of it also is due to us being unprepared for the invasion, as well as the enemy's forces vastly outnumbering our own. Not to mention, having no knowledge of this lethal force prior to their assault on the CPUs. After all, Ultra Dimension and Hyper Dimension had barely begun drafting soldiers into the AFG, and thus we'd had yet to actually become an organized fighting force. We were forced to rely on local militias. In other words, even with the CPUs' help, our fighting power was weak. Even more so after the Basilicoms were destroyed by the enemy."

"I agree. And now that we know at least some idea of what to expect, we should be able to come up with a counterstrategy to turn the war in our favor. According to reports six of the seven engaged our CPUs and CPU candidates. So we now have at least basic knowledge of their powers and abilities. The seventh is still a mystery at this point, so we must treat her with extreme caution. From what I hear, I believe she was also in Planeptune, though it doesn't seem like she participated in the battle itself. More like she was observing the events that played out. My hypothesis is that she may be one of the more powerful members of the group, and possibly even a strategist for the coalition. Either way, even with our power, we mustn't underestimate them, as there are still too many unknowns."

Suddenly they heard screams breaking out. "What's that?!" Histoire asked in alarm. "Histoire! Look at the screen!" Nepgear said pointing, as she and Iris Heart turned to see the image of Rei Ryghts, grinning evilly at them, who now appeared on every video screen throughout the Ultra Dimension.

"Greetings, foolish people of Gamindustri! The battle is ours! Gamindustri has fallen! Your cities destroyed! Your armies crushed! Your Goddesses _beaten_! But to those of you who truly hate us for what we've done to your world...!" My elite warriors, the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse, are waiting for you in each of your respective nations, itching for battle!"

I will give you one week to recover! If no one rises to challenge us by then, we will begin our invasion of the Ultra Dimension, where we will proceed to _slaughter_ you! Again, to all those who want revenge and wish to take back your world from our hands...COME! RAISE YOUR WEAPONS AND LAUNCH YOUR ASSAULT AGAINST US!"

"We're looking forward to being entertained...especially by the Nighteater Shizuku, and her familiar Nanashi, who currently reside under the protection of the AFG! Again, you have one week to recover and meet us in battle. Otherwise, we will invade Ultra Dimension, and we will annihilate you! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Rei's image flickered out, as Histoire glared at the now blank screen, a determined look on her face.

"We have no choice but to do as Rei demands, Histoire." Iris Heart said. "Agreed. Thankfully, we have a week to prepare. That should be more than enough time me to come up with an effective strategy based on the date I've received from the battle. The only thing left is to obtain intel on the Seven Swords via the Goddesses themselves."

"Speaking of which, I'm worried about Neptune." Iris Heart said. "Don't get me wrong, I have faith she'll recover quickly from her injuries. After all, Goddesses like ourselves are capable of healing much faster and efficiently than normal humans. The more shares we receive, the greater our ability to heal and resist injury. It's Neptune's state of mind that I'm most worried about."

"What do you mean?" Histoire asked, suddenly confused.

"Neptune has a lot of pride." Iris Heart explained. "The fact that the enemy thrashed her so easily, and the fact she was rendered helpless to protect her people from the enemy would most definitely be a major blow to her pride."

Suddenly, they were interrupted by the head nurse who approached them. "How's Neptune?" Histoire asked. "She's going to be fine. She has been asking to see you for a while now." "You go on ahead, I have some other things to attend to." Iris Heart said, as Histoire and Nepgear followed the Head Nurse to Neptune's room. Iris Heart herself watched them disappear down the hallway and around the corner, then made her way toward her Basilicom. She needed to speak with UD Histoire as soon as possible.

 **AN: For those who may be wondering about the way Iris Heart keeps referring to Neptune, I've always felt that Plutia's relationship with Neptune goes a bit beyond what most would call normal friendship. Judging by the hints we've been given (both canon and non-canon respectively), I think it's clear that Plutia harbors romantic feelings for Neptune, though it's unclear whether Neptune recognizes this.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: One Week to Armageddon; The Secret Hand Behind the War Revealed!**

After a few minutes, Nepgear, Histoire and the head nurse, who's name was Ayame, stood outside Neptune's hospital room. "We're here." Ayame said. Following Ayame inside, Histoire let out a gasp of abject horror. There, lying on her hospital bed, was Neptune, battered and beaten, and wrapped in bandages. "My gosh!" Histoire said. "Just hearing about her injuries was bad enough. But to see it with my own eyes, it's just too much! I don't even want to imagine her state prior to her arrival here at the hospital."

"Neptune?!" Nepgear cried, as she shoved her way past both of them and rushed to her sister's side. "Nepgear?" Neptune asked weakly. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Neptune." Nepgear said. "It's me. And Histoire's here as well." "Wait? Histy?!"

Neptune was suddenly wide awake, as she suddenly began to panic. "Please forgive me, Histy?!" Neptune cried hysterically, genuinely fearing the worst scolding of her life. "I didn't mean to lose! Please don't be mad at me?!" "Why in Gamindustri would I be mad at you?" Histoire asked in utter shock and confusion at Neptune's strange behavior. It was almost like watching a cowering child about to be scolded by her mother for misbehaving. "But I lost! And not only that, I allowed the enemy to capture Planeptune as a result!"

"And yet, I'm still not angry." Histoire said, trying to calm Neptune before she opened her wounds back up. "You gave the fight your all, did you not?" "Yeah, but—!" "But nothing." Histoire interrupted. "Now please calm down before you reopen your wounds. As I stated before, I am not angry. If anything, I'm relieved that you did not die today. Now then, I know this may be painful for you, forcing you to relive your defeat, but I need you to please explain the events that transpired out there. In particular, I need you to give me all the intel you have on these so-called Seven Swords of the Apocalypse, that attacked you during the battle. I also plan on speaking to the other CPUs after I'm finished here. If I am to come up with an effective counter-strategy against this new threat, I need that intel." "Okay…" Neptune said, as she took a deep breath, before beginning her story.

 **Meanwhile…**

 **Somewhere Outside Tokyo**

"You're late…" said a shadowy figure, a woman, as Rei approached her. "I do have a war to conduct, you know." Rei said. "Isn't that the main reason you contacted me in the first place, Uzume?"

"I suppose that's true enough." said the mysterious woman, the dark half of Uzume Tennouboshi, who would later come to be referred to as Kurome Ankokuboshi three years later.

"So what exactly do you want?" Rei asked. "Surely you didn't call me all the way out here just to engage in some idle gossip." "I want you to find something for me." Uzume said. "And what exactly is it you're searching for?" Rei asked. "I want you to find a certain console, featuring a red swirl mark, hidden somewhere in Hyper Dimension." Uzume said.

"Why would a ruthless schemer such as yourself be searching for a video game console?" Rei asked, confused. "I'm afraid that information is classified." Uzume said darkly.

"Hah!" Rei scoffed. "Classified my ass! Give me a freaking break! You just don't feel like telling me. In any case, why didn't you request this of me earlier?" "I needed to ensure I could rely on you, is all. Surely, you didn't expect me to just ask _anyone_ to fetch this console for me. I'm not that reckless."

"True enough." Rei said. "But while I understand your reason for delaying your request, now that the war is already underway, don't you think you might be a bit late. There's a strong possibility that this console you're looking for may have been destroyed during the initial invasion."

"No." Uzume replied ominously. "It is still intact, and hidden away somewhere in Hyper Dimension. If it had been destroyed, I would have felt it."

"Oh…I get it now!" Rei said with a sly smirk. "Get what?" Uzume asked, clearly unnerved by the look on Rei's face. "The reason you didn't want to tell me why you're looking for this console. It's a seal, isn't it!" "Shit!" Uzume swore. "I suppose I said too much just now. Oh well, what's done is done, I suppose. Just make sure it's found, Rei." "I will do my best, though it may take some time. I am, after all, in the middle of a war."

"Lucky for you, I've been putting together a team of Black-Ops to infiltrate the AFG HQ during the coming battles. Their defenses will be greatly lowered due to the CPUs fighting abroad. I shall simply add that to their coming assignment. And besides, even if they are defeated in battle, as long as they obtain the location of the console, and forward it to us before being defeated, our mission will be successful, and you'll be one step closer to finding that precious console of yours. Now is there anything else you wanted to discuss before we end our meeting. I'm a very busy woman at the moment."

"There is, actually." Uzume said. "You do know the nature of my powers by now, don't you, Rei?" "If I remember correctly, didn't you say your power was delusions, fueled by negative emotions?" Rei said. "That is correct." Uzume said. "Anyways, using my delusionary powers, I have recently succeeded in creating a quartet of monstrosities, each taller than a skyscraper, capable of wiping out the very fabric of space and time itself. I call them the Dark CPUs, as all four are based on one of the four current CPUs of Hyperdimension: Dark Purple, Dark Black, Dark White and Dark Green."

"I'd like to offer one to you, to use as you see fit." Uzume said with a sadistic grin. "Thanks, but no thanks!" Rei said, not even hesitating as she dismissed the offer. "I don't need some apocalyptic behemoth to win this war. And besides, what if it was destroyed, however unlikely, by the CPUs? What about your future plans?"

"Oh, you don't need to concern yourself with that, Rei. Besides, with my delusionary powers, I can recreate the Dark CPUS whenever and however many times I desire." "Whatever you say." Rei said dismissively. "But I still don't need such a giant superweapon to crush Gamindustri."

"Fine." Uzume said. "I see you're adamant in your decision, Rei. Still, I'm a bit disappointed. I had been looking forward to seeing a Dark CPU in action, on the battlefield, against a real military power. I suppose I'll just have to be content with watching that pathetic, goody two-shoes 'me' in the Zero Dimension, scurrying around like a rat, desperately trying to hide as Dark Purple destroys what's left of 'my' pathetic world! Still I must insist you take these two with you, at least."

At that moment, two figures appeared. "Arfoire…and Anonydeath?" Rei asked confused.

"In case you weren't already aware by now, the real Arfoire and Anonydeath have betrayed us." Uzume said darkly. "Anonydeath has already departed, and Arfoire is on her way out as we speak, and it appears as though she is planning on taking that hostage girl, Tohko, with her."

"What?!" Rei shouted as she made to return to HQ to stop Arfoire, only to be stopped by Uzume, or rather, Arfoire and Anonydeath, who were still under obligation to Uzume, rather than Rei. "I suggest you let them be and focus on the war. Meanwhile, finish putting together that Black-Ops team you mentioned, Rei Ryghts." Uzume said darkly, as she released her aura.

As she did, Rei suddenly found herself frozen in fear, as she was taken aback by the sheer amount of power and hatred this woman possessed, power and hatred towards Gamindustri that far eclipsed even her own, and Rei immediately recognized that if she had wanted to, Uzume could easily kill her right then and there.

The only thing stopping her was that Uzume had no physical form. Even so, if she did, Rei wouldn't even be necessary for her plans, and thus Rei was too important to kill as long as Uzume remained trapped in Heart Dimension. Under these circumstances, Rei would normally have decided to end her partnership. That however, was not an option, especially since she owed Uzume a debt for having aided her return to power, by teaching her how to harness negative energy as a source of power.

"Besides, it's too late now." Uzume continued. "You'll never reach HQ before Arfoire escapes with our prisoner—sorry, I mean ex-prisoner, in tow. Either way, don't even think about betraying me, Rei Ryghts! Remember this, I gave you your power, and as such, I can take it away. If you disappoint me, or attempt to betray me, I will take control of that power, force you to open a portal to Heart Dimension, and kill you in the most horrific way imaginable! Never forget that!" "I understand." Rei Ryghts said, not wishing to further provoke her benefactor.

"Until we meet again, Rei Ryghts…tootles! Heheheh!" As Uzume's image vanished, Rei let out a sigh of frustration. "What a troublesome and dangerous woman. To think she could make even someone as strong as myself shiver in fear…?! That woman possesses serious power. No doubt, if we were to do battle against each other, she'd be the winner, no contest. I'm just glad she's on my side…for now, at least."

"Oh, no…" said Uzume's ethereal voice. "You don't truly think I'm on _your_ side, do you, Rei? If so, you're a fool! I told you when we first met never to trust me. I am like a snake, and the moment I decide you're no longer useful or necessary, I will personally destroy you and take your power for myself!" Rei shuddered as Uzume's ethereal voice vanished, followed by all traces of her vile aura, before turning to Arfoire and Anonydeath. "Let us go." Rei said, still shaking in spite of herself. "I will brief you on your coming assignments upon our return to my palace."

 **Same Time…**

 **Deep Beneath Tokyo**

Tohko groggily woke up to her usual surroundings, a dank, dark and cold prison. She had lost track of time of how long she'd been down here. What's more, she still vividly remembered the torture she'd endured. She'd also lost a considerable amount of wait. Sure, the guards regularly gave her food, albiet enough to keep her from starving. She often refused to eat it, due to being a proud young woman, who had no desire to give into her distress, and thus give the impression of defeat.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching, as she looked up to see none-other than Arfoire standing outside her cell, unlocking the door, before making her way inside. "What the hell do you want now, Arfoire?!" Tohko said as her rage boiled over. After all, it was Arfoire who had captured, then tortured her until she passed out. "Have you come to torture me again, or have you come for my execution?!"

"Are you sure this annoying broad is worth it, you old hag?" said Warechu. "Chu!"

"SHUT UP, RAT!" Arfoire and Tohko both roared simultaneously.

"I'm not a rat! I'm a mouse! My name's Warechu!" Warechu exclaimed indignantly.

"You can relax, little girl. I have not come to do either of those things." "LIAR!" Tohko screamed. "Why whould I believe you, after everything you've done?!" "True, you have no obligation to. I'd do no less if I were in your situation. However, I have a proposition I'd like to make, and it would be in your best interest to at least hear me out."

After a moment of hesitation, Tohko let out a sigh, to cool her head, before replying, "Fine. What do you want?" "Quite simply, I've come to get you out of here, little girl." Arfoire said, shocking Tohko. "The fact is that I no longer work for the one who ordered your capture, and subsequent torture. In return for my services, my ex-boss was supposed to give me something in return. Instead, she chose to destroy it. And so, due to her betrayal, I have no further intention of working with that woman. She sees you as a bargaining chip to use against the enemy, and because she chose to take something from me, I shall now return the favor, and take something from her. Of course, I will not be so cruel as to murder a defenseless child. I may be a criminal, but I still have some moral standards."

"Anyways, if you accept my offer, I will free you, train you in combat, then send you to Ultra Dimension, where you shall be reunited with your friends." "Wait?!" Tohko asked. "Are you saying Nanashi and Shizuku are alive?! And what do you mean by this Ultra Dimension?!"

"If you plan to come with me, we have to leave now." Arfoire said. "By now you probably have plenty of questions. But they'll have to wait till later. I will explain the situation thoroughly once we arrive at my hideout. Just remember this. I'm only doing this to spite my former boss. I am, as of this moment, neither your enemy, nor am I your friend. Understand?"

"Fine." Tohko said. "I accept your offer." "Very well." said Arfoire.

"Let us depart then." Seconds later, Arfoire, Warechu and Tohko vanished.

 **Back in the Ultra Dimension**

 **Planeptune Hospital**

 **Neptune's Room**

"…And that's what happened." Neptune finished, sobbing from the shame and humiliation she felt. "I couldn't stop her! I couldn't even put a scratch on her! I failed to protect my nation! My people! I'm a failure as a CPU!" Nepgear looked at her broken sister, horrified by the defeated words Neptune was speaking.

"I don't believe this!" Histoire suddenly shouted, causing both Neptune and Nepgear to jump. "This is _not_ the Neptune I know! How can you just give up?! It's not like you at all! Sure, you're lazy, a habitual slacker, can be quite annoying, and sometimes don't know how to hold your tongue in certain situations. But you're also a strong and kind leader who loves her people, and who doesn't back down even when all the odds are against her. Not only that, but even when things look dire, your upbeat and cheerful personality and optimism make everyone want to give it their all! So don't give up, okay?!"

"Yes it's true you suffered a devastating defeat today, as did the other CPUs, and that Gamindustri is now in the hands of the enemy as a result. But considering the situation we were in, such an outcome was inevitable, as much as I hate to admit it. The enemy launched their invasion before we had a chance to mobilize for the coming war. And then, you and the other CPUs fell under direct attack by powerful enemies we had no prior knowledge of. We all, myself included, severely underestimated the strength of our enemy, and lost as a result. The thing you must understand, however, is that it is not your fault. You simply did not know your enemy." Histoire said, to which Neptune nodded as she finally stopped crying.

"But, now that you've fought this Kyoko woman, things have changed." Histoire continued. "You now have a good idea of what to expect, and thus, have a much greater chance of winning when you have your rematch in the upcoming battle to take back Planeptune. Yes, you heard that right, Neptune." Histoire said as she saw the look Neptune gave her when she said that.

"These so-called Seven Swords of the Apocalypse have proven themselves to be dangerous, and formidable adversaries who possess enough power to take down our CPUs with relative ease. They represent a grave threat that simply cannot be allowed to continue their paths of destruction. Therefore, eliminating that threat is now our highest priority. And the only ones with enough power to take them on are our CPUs and CPU Candidates. No one else is capable of standing up to them. I'm sorry, Neptune. But I'm afraid you've no choice in the matter. You must confront the Seven Swords' leader, Kyoko 'The Valkyrie', again."

"Neptune, these are direct orders from me, the supreme commander of the Allied Forces. Your assignment is simple. Eliminate the threat posed by the Seven Swords' leader by either capturing or killing her. That is your mission, Neptune. For now, however, you need to rest. It will take a couple days to recover fully from your injuries, especially given the alarming drop in our shares following our defeat. Afterwards, I want you and the other CPUs to train for the next few days in preparation for the battles ahead. I will summon you all to the war room when I've formulated a strategy in three days' time. And attendence is mandatory for all high-ranking alliance military personnel."

"The AFG should be fully assembled by that time as well, and after the meeting, I want you and the other CPUs and CPU Candidates to join me in addressing the citizens of both Ultra Dimension and Hyper Dimension, to sow the seeds of determination and hope in their hearts, and thus, faith in their CPUs' ability to take back Gamindustri and defeat the enemy who threatens us all. In our current situation, even a slight drop in shares is a disaster waiting to happen, and we must retain as much Share energy as possible if we are to win this war. In addition, I will be having Nanashi and Shizuku train to awaken their power while we are fighting to retake Gamindustri. It is my hope that they should be ready to join us in battle by the time we're ready to begin our campaign to free their world and it's people from Rei's tyranny.

"As to your assignment, I know you're likely uncomfortable with that latter option of killing Kyoko. I myself would prefer her capture over her death. However, this is a war. And people die in wars. That, and Kyoko is clearly one of Rei's most fanatically loyal followers. Unlike the majority of Rei's army, she's not indoctrinated. She willfully and maliciously betrayed her own people and condemned them to unspeakable suffering, all for her own selfish lust for power, and has gleefully committed brutal atrocities, one after another, with no hint of remorse. She's every bit as vile and despicable as Rei herself, and should you be left with no other options, her death may be the only way to stop her!"

"She must be stopped at all costs, or more people will be made to suffer and die! At this very moment, those who we were unable to evacuate before Gamindustri fell to the enemy have become prisoners of war. People are being tortured and killed, and those who manage to survive their torture are being forcibly indoctrinated into Rei's ever-growing army of mindless, slave soldiers. Meanwhile, those who were lucky enough to escape the round-up of our citizens and go into hiding now live in constant fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones, knowing that at any moment they could be captured or killed. I know this because a few of my scouts dutifully decided to remain behind, in order to keep tabs on the enemy. They are also associated with a mercenary organization who has been working night and day to assist fugitive Gamindustrians fleeing capture by the enemy. However, even their numbers have been dwindling, as more and more run afoul of the Seven Swords, who now preside over each of our nations."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. "Please forgive me for interrupting, Lady Histoire, but we've just received an important update regarding our enemies." said the head nurse, Ayame. "Thank you, Ayame. Unfortunately, it is true that I am a bit preoccupied at the moment. So would you mind sending me that data directly?" "That should be simple enough. Also, there's a small group of five people waiting outside to see Neptune." "Let them in," Histoire said. "I requested their presence for a brief meeting anyways." "Very well, Histoire." Ayame said as she departed, and seconds later, their guests arrived. Nanashi and Shizuku, followed closely by Plutia, IF and Compa. "Thank you all for coming. Please, make yourself comfortable. I will begin our meeting shortly."

"Now that we're all comfortable, let us begin. First, allow me to commend you for doing your best during the battle. Nevertheless, Gamindustri has indeed fallen to the enemy. The CPUs and CPU Candidates of each nation suffered a devastating defeat. However, it is important that you understand the true reason as to why the CPUs lost, and why they suffered such horrific injuries."

Histoire let out a sigh as the others gave each other concerned looks, before she continued. "A new threat has emerged in the form of a group of seven extraordinarily powerful swordswomen calling themselves the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse. Answering directly to Rei herself, these mysterious warriors directly targeted our CPUs and CPU Candidates in an efficient and deadly surprise attack that resulted in their defeats and, in Neptune and Peashy's case, brought them to the brink of death." Histoire paused for a moment, as the others exchanged dark looks of abject horror at the mention of how Neptune had nearly been killed. "According to their leader, Kyoko, who goes by the epithet, 'The Valkyrie', and who is also the one who brutalized Neptune and Peashy, their sole mission is nothing less than the complete and utter annihilation of our CPUs."

"Each and every one of these Seven Swords of the Apocalypse are S-Class warriors. Their skills, abilities, and power levels make them extremely dangerous and deadly enemies who should not be engaged by anyone other than our CPUs and CPU Candidates. Their power is equal to or greater than that of our own CPUs, and this is made apparent by the ease in which they took down our CPUs. For a while, we knew of only those six who fought our CPUs directly for certain. But according to the data I just received, it seems we may have finally identified the seventh and final member of the group, though this remains unconfirmed. We are however, 75% certain of the validity of our suspect's membership. Nepgear, please prepare a holoprojection for us. I am sending the data directly to your N-Gear." "Okay." Nepgear said. "Please turn off the lights for a moment, Compa?" "Sure thing, Histy."

A seconds later, said holoprojection filled the dark room. In it were seven individuals. "These are our new enemies." Histoire said. "We don't know much about them other than their names, and epithets, minus the seventh, who remains a mystery. And while we don't know their powers, we can guess according to their epithets, and once I've talked with the other CPUs and CPU Candidates, we can hopefully confirm our theories on their respective special abilities, and thus, I can better come up with an effective strategy for dealing with them."

"First, Kyoko 'The Valkyrie', who we already discussed. Next are the two who brought down Lastation, Gaela 'The Hurricane' and Electra 'The Thunderbolt'. Next are the ones who took down Lowee, Roxie 'The Earthquake' and Flannery 'The Eruption'. And then there's Aqua 'The Tsunami', who single-handedly crushed Leanbox. Finally there is our suspected seventh member who's name and epithet remain an unknown to this day. Apparently, she rules Planeptune alongside Kyoko, and was, in fact, present during the invasion. For some reason, however, she chose not to get involved, herself."

"This may have been an order from Rei herself. And if so, I can surmise only a few theories, though I think the most likely reason is that she may be the Coalition's strategic officer. And if that's the case, extra caution should be exercised when confronting her, especially given our lack of any information on this particular individual. "The Coalition?" IF asked suddenly. "Is that what the enemy is referring to themselves as?" "Yes. According to this data, Rei's organization is called the Coalition of Darkness, and the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse are their elite commanders."

"Now then, back to the previous topic, though our candidate seventh member did not fight in the initial battle, I can guess with utmost certainty that she will likely participate in the coming battle. In any case, the threat these Seven Swords of the Apocalypse represent is such that eliminating said threat has become our number one priority. And the task of taking them down will be given to all CPUs and CPU Candidates participating in the coming battles. I have given Neptune the task of confronting Kyoko. Meanwhile, Nepgear and Plutia will be tasked with taking down her partner, should she decide to enter the battlefield."

"I had a bad feeling something was wrong when I saw Nep-Nep fighting a strange woman during the battle, though, I was much too preoccupied with keeping our injured alive to think much of it." Compa said suddenly. "You saw them too, Compa?" IF asked, having noticed the ferocious duel taking place above the battlefield herself on more than one occasion. "I did." Compa said grimly. "And I take it you did as well?" IF nodded. "Yes. And like you, I had a bad feeling about what was happening. I could tell right away that Nep's mysterious opponent was extraordinarily strong…but to think she was powerful enough to take her down, and with such ease…I must admit, that frightens me."

"The ease in which Kyoko managed to brutalize and crush Neptune is indeed frightening, and disturbing as well." Histoire said in a grim tone. "However, I think the most frightening thing about all of this is also the most egregious of them all. Kyoko 'The Valkyrie' succeeded in doing something few others have accomplished…" "What is that?" IF and Compa asked in unison, not liking the look Histoire was giving them.

"She broke Neptune's fighting spirit…" Histoire said, to which both IF and Compa gasped in shock and horror. Meanwhile, Plutia remained silent, though a dark look had appeared on her face. "Thankfully," Histoire continued, "I was able to snap Neptune out of her depression with a combination of some hard truths coupled with words of encouragement. But the fact Kyoko broke Neptune, and with such ease, is what truly horrifies, and frankly, disgusts me…!" Histoire now let her feelings about the matter known. She was furious at Kyoko for what she'd done. But what none of them realized was that there was someone else in that same room who was now boiling in absolute fury, and that person now made her feelings on the matter known, as Plutia was suddenly on her feet, fists clenched and visibly shaking in anger, her face shrouded in ominous shadow.

"She did _what_ , now?!" Plutia growled in clear and obvious anger. "She _broke_ Neppy…?! She actually broke _my_ Neppy?!" Suddenly there was a blinding flash of light, as Iris Heart now stood where Plutia had been moments before, a look of absolute fury on her face. "THAT CRUEL AND SADISTIC BITCH!" she spat angrily as she slammed her fist against the wall, leaving a gaping hole in the drywall and causing everyone in the room to flinch. "It's one thing to brutalize my Neppy! It's quite another to attempt to kill her in front of me! But to break Neppy's spirit on top of that?! UNFORGIVABLE!" Iris Heart screamed, now engulfed in a fiery aura that displayed the true extent of just how enraged she was.

"Plutia…please calm down?!" Histoire begged, only to shrink back as Iris Heart looked at her indignantly. " _Calm down_?!" Iris Heart asked incredulously. "You want me…TO CALM DOWN?!" Histoire flinched as Iris Heart's words hit home, emphasizing she was beyond reasoning with at this time. "THAT BITCH IS GOING TO PAY!"

A deafening silence quickly followed. After a few minutes Iris Heart had managed to recompose herself. "It's a good thing you assigned me to a different target, Histoire. But I must insist Nepgear hold my leash, or else I may end up losing myself to vengeace…and if that happens, I promise, nothing good will come of it."

With that, Iris Heart's transformation broke, and Plutia collapsed back into her seat, sobbing uncontrollably into Nepgear's chest. "I'm scared…" Plutia said between sobs. "This vitriolic desire to hurt that woman…is this what it means to feel hatred?"

"I don't like it! It's so cold, dark and destructive…it's alien! It's the most terrifying feeling I've ever felt in my entire life. Please, don't let me fulfill these abhorrent desires, Neppy Jr."

Nepgear looked at Plutia in sympathy and understanding. "I promise…" "Thank you…" Plutia said. "I'm a really horrible person, aren't I, having such violent and horrific desires. Truly I'm no better than our enemies. I'm just another monster…!"

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Nepgear suddenly shouted. "That's simply not true! You're not a monster, Plutia! Sure, acting on those thoughts would indeed make you no better than the enemy…but while the feelings themselves are dark and disturbing, they are also natural. They show you truly care about Neptune. You care so much for her you want to rip apart the enemy for hurting her the way they did."

"If I'm being perfectly honest, upon seeing how badly Neptune had been beaten, I was furious, and like you, I too found myself contemplating revenge. I wanted to rip Kyoko apart for what she'd done to my big sister. But in the end, I chose duty over revenge, because carrying out my desire for revenge would have only fed the endless cycle of hatred that is borne from war in the first place. Nothing good ever comes from revenge. I know it, and you do too, and that is why you are begging us to stop you from carrying out your desire for vengeance. You're a good person, so much better than our enemy, and as long as you don't act on those thoughts, you will always be better than our enemies. You're not a monster, Plutia, and don't you ever think of yourself as such again, okay?" "Okay, Neppy, Jr." Plutia said as a slight smile appeared on her face. "And thank you."

"In any case, I have faith Neptune will emerge victorious when she next confronts Kyoko." Histoire said. "Anyways, I believe that is about all. Thereby I conclude this meeting adjourned. I need to speak with the other CPUs and CPU Candidates to glean as much information on their respective opponents as I can if I am to come up with an effective strategy in time for the battles ahead. Feel free to visit with Neptune, she could do with some enjoyment to take her mind off of the recent battles. Just don't go overboard, okay?" "Don't worry," said IF. "If push comes to shove, you know I am more than capable of holding Nep's leash!" With that, Histoire left the room.

 **Meanwhile…somewhere in Japan…**

"We've arrived…" Arfoire stated as she landed, as Tohko leaped off her back. "Follow me, Tohko Sagisaka." Arfoire said, as she approached a cave. "My hideout is ahead. Once we arrive, you would be wise to get some sleep. I will answer your questions in the morning. After that, your training commences. I warn you, Tohko Sagisaka. My training methods are harsh, and if you're not prepared, I may very well end up killing you!" Arfoire said matter-of-factly as Tohko followed her. "I understand, Miss Arfoire…"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: **Preparations for War Begin; Tohko's Struggle****

Several days have passed since the fall of Gamindustri. The day after the invasion, enlistment for joining the AFG had begun in earnest. The AFG is now well over 200,000 strong, and still rapidly growing. Histoire, upon getting the intel she needed from the other CPUs, had secluded herself in a locked room so she could ponder a strategy.

At the same time, the CPUs and CPU Candidates, having fully recovered from their injuries, have been training extensively in preparation for the coming battles. Meanwhile, Nanashi and Shizuku were also training, and the CPUs and CPU Candidates volunteered to rotate between one-another assisting their training, until the time came for them to depart for the upcoming battles.

So far, both have proven to be talented learners, and though their power has increased, they'd yet to develop any significant abilities at this time. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Tohko struggled with her own training…

 **Earth…**

Tohko was smarting and aching after spending several days surviving Arfoire's grueling training regimen. "Come now, Tohko Sagisaka!" Arfoire said with authority. "Surely you can do better than this? You've done well so far in surviving, but you've yet to land a single hit on me. If all you're capable of is dodging my attacks, you won't get very far when the real battle begins!"

"Fight me like you did during our first encounter! Though you lost, you fought much better then than you are now! At this moment, I guarantee Nanashi and Shizuku are training rigorously to get stronger, and that their strength is already far greater now than it was when you last saw them only five days ago! You disgrace them with your ineptitude!"

"SHUT UP!" Tohko screamed, as something inside her snapped, and for a brief moment, she thought she felt a surge of power welling up inside her. "Hmm?!" Arfoire asked, a shocked expression on her face, as she noticed a faint aura of power surrounding Tohko, which quickly vanished.

"Hmph!" Arfoire said suddenly, as her lance suddenly vanished. "We're done for today! Take some time to rest and recover your injuries. You're training will resume at 10AM, so prepare yourself! It seems, however, that you do indeed possess some latent power after all…"

This shocked Tohko, as she looked up in confusion and said, "…I-I do?"

"You do indeed. It was brief, and seems to have been connected to your sudden spike of anger, but just moments ago, a faint aura of power manifested itself when you snapped at me in retaliation for my comments. But it vanished almost as quickly as it appeared…"

Tohko indeed remembered feeling that sudden surge of power when she was riled by Arfoire's comments. "Unfortunately for you," Arfoire continued. "That means your training is going to be much more difficult from this point forward. I don't know why a human such as yourself possesses such latent power…such a thing shouldn't be possible, especially given your young age."

"However, now that I know you possess latent, albeit dormant, powers, I will hereby be adjusting your training accordingly. Your goal is no longer just to land a blow against me, but to do so while manifesting that power! I am going to push you hard, Tohko Sagisaka. And I will keep pushing you, again and again, until you learn how to manifest that power at will! After that, you will learn how to fight using that power. Afterwards, I will be sending you to Ultra Dimension, where you will be reunited with your friends…assuming you survive!" With that Arfoire walked away.

"Indeed, such a phenomenon should be impossible for such a young, human girl." Arfoire thought to herself. "Yet the power she briefly displayed was such that it easily rivaled that of Gamindustri's CPU Candidates. That being said, I can think of only one possibility: the blood of a CPU runs in her veins. Yet, that hypothesis presents its own problems, as all surviving CPUs are in Gamindustri, and do not have children, and as far as I'm aware, none of the previous CPUs had children either, much less are even alive today.

I will have to do some research into Tohko's family background if I am to make sense of it all.

However, this sudden turn of events is of great concern to me. If there is indeed an ex-CPU of Gamindustri living here on Earth, even with the lack of Share energy, she could represent a threat to me…! Even I am hesitant now to assist Tohko in awakening her powers, but my hatred and desire for revenge against my former employer is far stronger right now than my concerns over her potential to become a threat in her own right!"

Meanwhile, Tohko was left to her own devices, and as she nursed the cut on her shoulder, her mind flashed back to four days prior, when Arfoire revealed the shocking truth to her…

 **Flashback…**

" _Now that you're well rested and sufficiently nourished, as promised, I shall answer your questions." Arfoire said. "Before I can do that, however, you need to know the truth about the circumstances in which you and your world find yourself in."_

" _The world you live in, the one called Earth, is located at the heart of what I shall refer to as the Earth Dimension, itself just one of countless dimensions in this vast multiverse that encompasses all of interdimensional space. The world I come from is called Gamindustri, located at the heart of what is known as Hyper Dimension."_

" _Of course, there are numerous versions of the world of Gamindustri, each located in their own separate dimensions, which only serves to add to the confusion. One such version of Gamindustri is located in what is known as Ultra Dimension, and it is that Gamindustri where your friends and their newfound allies are currently located. Henceforth, I shall refer to Gamindustri by its respective dimension, rather than as Gamindustri, in order to avoid obvious confusion."_

" _In any case, the world of Gamindustri, depending on its respective dimension, may have certain aspects unique to that specific Gamindustri, but in general, the same basic rules apply to all versions of Gamindustri. Regardless of dimension, Gamindustri exists due to the continued protection of the CPUs. The CPUs are, in essence, Goddesses, borne of the people's faith, which manifests itself as Share Energy."_

" _It is this Share Energy, derived from the people's continued faith, which gives the CPUs their strength. Thus, a symbiant relationship is forged between the people and their Goddesses. In exchange for their continued faith, the CPUs in turn fight to protect their people from enemies both foreign and domestic, myself included."_

" _Yes, you heard that correctly, Tohko Sagisaka." Arfoire said, upon seeing the look Tohko gave her. "I am indeed an enemy of the CPUs, and the reverse is true as well. However, my desire to get back at my traitorous former employer is far greater than my aspirations to take control of Gamindustri. And so, even if it means aiding my sworn enemies, I will be working behind the scenes to sabotage my former employer's plans."_

" _So essentially, it's a classic case of the ancient proverb, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.'" Tohko said. "Indeed…" Arfoire said. "I'm glad to see you're not an idiot. It makes my job of explaining things easier." "In any case, within Hyper Dimension, there are four nations, each ruled by a CPU." At that moment, a hologram projection appeared, showing a quartet of girls, all of whom looked far too young to be divine protectors of an entire world._

" _The girls in this image are merely the CPUs' avatars, going by the names of Neptune, Noire, Blanc and Vert. These are their Goddess, or HDD forms." Arfoire said as the image changed, now displaying the a quartet of young women, all with the same color scheme as before, before continuing with her explanation._

" _CPU Purple Heart, Goddess of Planeptune; CPU Black Heart, Goddess of Lastation; CPU White Heart, Goddess of Lowee; and CPU Green Heart, Goddess of Leanbox." The image changed again, showing once again an image, very similar to the first, though there were a few differences. Three of the girls from the first image where present, albiet wearing noticeably different outfits or color schematics, though the same basic color scheme was the same. Noticeably absent, however, was the girl called Neptune, or Purple Heart. In her place was a young girl with fair-pale skin and bright pink eyes. Her hair was about waist length with very wild, messy bangs framing her face while her hair looked to be worn down, but in a very thick/big braid held with a pastel pink frilled ribbon._

 _She wore an odd outfit, consisting of a very loose powder blue top with a frilled neck segment with a bright pink-purple bow and a long white segment in the center held with a white multi-piece belt with a purple piece in the center. At the top on the sleeve sides were pink cloth segments with ruffled white lining and a single white stripe on each piece. Her dress had small sleeves with button-clasp, making it look like a shirt pair of overalls. On each sleeve was a peach and white line, while the sleeves cuff buttons to the upper segment of sleeve, most likely to keep them from being too long. She also wore an uneven length white skirt piece that looked longer in back, and opened in the middle. She also wore pink and white striped socks and pink bear shaped fuzzy slippers. All-in-all, she looked dressed for bedtime._

" _These are the CPUs of Ultra Dimension. As you can plainly see, I do not need to tell you who three of the CPUs there are, even if the they are distinct from their Hyper Dimension counterparts. The only difference is that, though there is, apparently, a Neptune within Ultra Dimension, she is not a CPU. The CPU of Planeptune in Ultra Dimension, is Plutia, also known as CPU Iris Heart." The image changed again, once again showing their HDD forms, though Iris Heart's HDD form was the one that was truly shocking. Tohko couldn't help but notice the dominatrix vibe it gave off, and the thought she may indeed end up meeting her someday sent shivers down her spine."_

 _The picture changed again, now showing yet another individual, a very young girl with yellow hair, wearing what looked like a bee costume. "Finally, there is this individual." Arfoire said. "Her name is Peashy, also known as Yellow Heart." The image changed again, displaying what was quite possibly the most shocking transformation of them all. A young girl, who looked like she was no older than 6 years of age, was now a gorgeous young woman with gold-hair, and quite possibly the largest bust among all the CPUs' transformations, including those of CPU Green Heart! Needless to say, Tohko couldn't help but feel just a hint of jealousy._

 _In any case, the CPUs of both Hyper Dimension and Ultra Dimension, have allied with your friends against a common enemy." The image changed again, this time showing a woman, who looked about age 25, with light, cyan-blue hair and icy blue eyes, and a sadistic smirk on her face. It was at this moment that Tohko suddenly realized she'd seen this woman before. Seconds later it dawned on her that this woman was the same person who'd attacked her friends, during the conquest of her world. "That's–?!"_

" _I see you recognize the woman in this image. Impressive, considering how much of her was shrouded in shadow during the events you recall. The name of this woman is Rei Ryghts. Remember that name well, Tohko Sagisaka, for she is your true enemy. Not only is she the one who attacked your friends, she is also the one who is solely responsible for everything that has transpired since that day. She is also my former employer, and the one who ordered your capture and torture. The truth of the matter is that, while I'm not above using torture against my sworn enemies, but in your case, I was simply following orders. Besides, with my ability to copy a person's appearance and their powers, torture is not even necessary for interrogating my foes."_

" _Rei Ryghts is in fact a CPU herself." This revelation shocked and horrified Tohko. "You mean that woman is a CPU?! But how does she possess so much power if a CPU needs Share Energy. Surely, a tyrant like her would have next to no shares, as only a small number of equally vile individuals who have allied with her would have any faith her?!"_

" _How perceptive you truly are. Indeed, that would normally be the case. Except that she has become an exception to the rule. Rei Ryghts is the former CPU of the ancient nation of Tari."_

" _Upon becoming a CPU, she became drunk with power, ruling Tari with an Iron Fist, and disciplining any who dissented against her tyranny. Her tyrannical rule over the people ultimately culminated in the death of said nation. The people of Tari lost faith in their CPU as a result of her actions, and in a fit of rage, the despotic CPU ended up killing all who lived there. To this day, Rei Ryghts, in her HDD form, is quite literally insane, even though, in her human form, Rei is a pathetic, scared little girl who apologized way too much, a fact which makes her even easier to control when her HDD form decides to go on a rampage. Over the millennia, the nation of Tari and it's tyrannical ruler gradually slid into historical obscurity, with Tari becoming viewed as a mere myth, and a warning to CPUs that they serve their people, not the other way around._

 _But then, approximately two years ago, the legacy of the fallen CPU returned to the forefront of Gamindustri's problems. From the shadows, Rei Ryghts led an assault on Gamindustri during what has become known as the Eden incident. Disguising herself as her meek human self, she manipulated my ex-comrade, Anonydeath, who has also left Rei's organization, into waging a war on Gamindustri. To that end, Anonydeath recruited Rei Ryghts herself as an underling, unaware that she was, in fact, the true mastermind of the Eden plot, and together, they kidnapped a young girl and turned her into a CPU, brainwashing her into believing that Anonydeath and Rei Ryghts were the young girls' parents._

 _To her credit, Rei Ryghts's human form had, over the millennia, become an amnesiac, unware of her identity as a CPU, much less the true mastermind the events in question. The artificial CPU in question is, of course, Peashy, a.k.a. Yellow Heart, who became nigh invincible due to a machine that was supposedly creating artificial Share Energy._

 _However, after Eden's defeat, Rei Ryghts' body was hijacked by her HDD form, who then proceeded to attack Planeptune. Her power was so great that it took four CPUs and their CPU Candidate sisters to bring her down. During this confrontation, the true nature of Eden's device became known. It wasn't artificially creating Share Energy, it was, in fact, stealing the Share Energy of the current CPUs of each nation. Only after it's destruction were they able to defeat Rei Ryghts. But so intense was the insane CPU's hatred and desire to destroy Gamindustri that she attempted to take the CPUs with her. The CPUs survived, of course, though were knocked unconscious, and as Rei Ryghts prepared to use the last of her energy to wipe out her unconscious enemies, I arrived on the scene and depowered her by stealing away her remaining powers. I did this not to save the CPUs, who are to this day my sworn enemies, but to stop her senseless destruction of the world._

 _A year later, Rei Ryghts seemed to finally come to an understanding with the other CPUs, albiet while still in a prison cell, and vowed to do what she could to right the wrongs of her past once her sentence was over. But the poor sap never had an opportunity to fulfill her plans for redemption. Her HDD self, disgusted and angry with her human self for catering to her sworn enemies, and having somehow regained her power, hijacked her body once again._

 _Having essentially swallowed her human form completely, the mad CPU escaped Gamindustri, eventually arriving here in the Earth Dimension, where she began plotting her revenge against the CPUs of Gamindustri for not only her humiliating defeat, but also for, as she saw it, corrupting her human form to become their pet. In essence, the good person who was the human form of Rei Ryghts, was destroyed, taken over completely by the vengeful tyrant who now rules your world with an iron fist, all while waging a petty war of revenge against the people of both Hyper Dimension and Ultra Dimension._

 _It is unknown how she managed to regain her powers, but it seems as if she has somehow managed to gain power from negative emotions. There are rumors, too, of yet another individual, hiding in the shadows, giving advice and possibly even orders to Rei Ryghts, which, if true, could mean that someone even more powerful than Rei herself may be calling the shots."_

 _Either way, Hyper Dimension and Ultra Dimension, have allied with your friends Nanashi and Shizuku, and formed the Allied Forces of Gamindustri, or AFG, to counter the threat by Rei's Coalition of Darkness. The CPUs have already suffered a blow, however, at the hands of Rei Ryghts' elite commanders, a group known as the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse. Hyper Dimension has fallen to the Coalition, and the AFG has been forced to retreat to Ultra Dimension, as they now prepare for the coming battles to retake their world from the enemy. As to whether they can win, however, remains to be seen."_

 **End Flashback…**

"I promise! I will become stronger!" Tohko thought to herself as she collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

 **Ruins of MOGRA…**

A cloaked figure stood amidst the wreckage of Game Bar MOGRA. "It seems my worst fears have indeed come to pass." said the figure, as they approached the still unconscious and wounded forms of the Akiba Freedom Fighters.

"The majority of this world's people have either been captured or killed. My own precious daughter has been missing since this nightmare began. And yet, it seems that some have retained a small bit of fortune, even in these troubled times, as here you cling to life."

The figure now removed her hood, revealing a youthful-looking woman with fair skin, long, turquoise hair tied in a ponytail, and blue-green eyes. "Rest easy, Children. You're safe now. As long as I'm here, I will not allow you to die, much less become slaves to the enemy."

The woman suddenly reached into her pocket and retrieved a necklace with a dimly glowing crystal, a Sharicite, before lying it in the center of the ritual area.

"Now then, I just hope this works. I haven't used this for nearly 100 years…'


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Alliance Leaders Gather; Histoire's Strategy Revealed**

"I'd like to thank all of you for your promptness in responding to my summons." Histoire said, as she addressed all those in attendance. "Before we begin the meeting, would you mind handing out the refreshments, Shizuku?"

"Hold the flip phone!" Neptune suddenly cried out. "Am I hearing things right?"

"Is there something wrong, Nep-Nep?" Compa asked.

"Well, duh?! This is highly unsual behavior coming from you, Histy? What's the occasion?"

"Since when did you become so hospitable prior to one of your lectures?!"

"I have no idea what you mean, Neptune?"

"Did seeing me so beat up the other day scramble your processor? Surely you're not feeling responsible for my injuries…"

"D-don't be ridiculous!"

"You sure about that, Histy? You're blushing pretty hard over there?"

"N-no I'm not!"

"Awwww…were you really that worried about me?"

"Pipe down at once!" Histoire shouted, steam coming out of her head. "Stop jumping to wild conclusions!"

"Teehee! You're so _cute_ when you're embarrassed, Histy!"

"That's enough!" Histoire finally snapped. "Not another word, unless you want be forced to watch as everyone else enjoys their tea, while you get nothing!"

"Ahem!" said Shizuku, as they turned to her. "The drinks were my idea, actually. Histoire was originally against it, citing the need to focus on the crisis at hand. However, I managed to convince her otherwise, after I pointed out how, with all the stress we've been dealing with, and with major battles just ahead, the CPUs and other high-ranking AFG officials could use a bit of something to help them relax and clear their minds, before they head off to war."

"This is a special blend of herbal tea, who's recipe has been passed down within my family for generations. It is specifically made to help someone enter their peace of mind, soothing the soul and clearing the mind of negativity. It also contains several essential anti-oxidants which aid in maintaining one's health in body, mind and spirit."

"Finally, a touch of sugar and peppermint give it just enough flavor to make it enjoyable to even the pickiest of children. Please, accept it as thanks for all you've done for us so far." Shizuku said as she left the room.

A few minutes later, everyone had a cup of hot tea in front of them. "Please be careful, everyone. Shizuku said as she returned to her seat. "It's still very hot."

"Now then, let us begin." UD Histoire said. "To start with, we should discuss what we know about our enemies so far."

"As I'm sure you're all aware, our enemies launched their invasion of Hyper Dimension a week ago, ultimately resulting in the defeat of the CPUs and the capture of Hyper Dimension."

"However, what many of you may not be aware of, is the exact reason why the CPUs lost, and suffered such horrific injuries."

"During the battle, a group of seven extraordinarily powerful swordswomen suddenly appeared and launched a brutal and deadly efficient assault upon our Goddesses."

"Calling themselves the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse, these seven warriors were tasked by Rei Ryghts herself with the CPUs' extermination."

"Each of these Seven Swords of Apocalypse are extremely dangerous adversaries, being categorized as elite, S-class warriors, with powers equal to, or greater than that of our CPUs. As such, they should not be confronted by anyone except our CPUs and CPU Candidates. They are also extremely loyal to Rei Ryghts, to the point of fanaticism."

"These Seven Swords of the Apocalypse have proven themselves to be a grave threat, and must be dealt with as our top priority. However, their power is such that only our CPUs and CPU Candidates are capable of facing them. For anyone else to challenge them would be not just foolish, but suicidal. The only CPU who will not be participating in the upcoming battles is Peashy, who remains in a comatose state."

"Peashy was grievously wounded during the last battle, and due to being so young, her injuries have affected her far more severely than they normally would have. We can only hope that she recovers by the time we are ready to depart for Earth Dimension, following the conclusion of the upcoming Hyper Dimension campaign, as her strength would certainly be invaluable. In any case, let us go through each members profile, one by one, according to the intel we have gained thus far…" HD Histoire suddenly turned to UD Histoire, who moved to dim the lights, before activating a holoprojector, which now illuminated the dimly lit room.

"Each of the Seven Swords has an epithet which, save their leader, refers to each one's unique special ability. This is important for figuring out a means for overcoming their powers, especially given that five of them are elemental based powers, hence their collective title of the Five Elements. We know of this title only thanks to the intelligence I've recieved from my scouts."

"In any case, let us begin with the aforementioned Five Elements, starting with Aqua, 'The Tsunami', who single-handedly brought down Leanbox."

Suddenly, an image of a fair skinned woman with long, turquoise hair that was tied in a ponytail, and sapphire blue eyes, was projected before them. She wore a black tank top and a pair of short blue shorts, held at the waist by a utility belt that featured the Coalition's insignia on the belt buckle. A knife holster was strapped to her left thigh, and a sword scabbard was strapped to her right hip.

"Aqua is a calm and level-headed kunoichi, and as such, is a ruthless and efficient warrior. As you can probably ascertain from her epithet, she wields the element of water."

"Anyways, let's move onto our next two profile." HD Histoire said, as the image changed to show two women. The woman on right had fair-skin, wild, flaming red hair and scarlet eyes. She wore a black T-shirt with the Coalition insignia on the front, a pair of green cut-off shorts, and a sword scabbard was strapped, diagonally, to her back.

The woman on the left had tan skin, short, messy brown hair and green eyes. She wore a blue jeans jacket with the sleeves cut-off, over a black T-shirt with the Coalition insignia on the front, and a pair of black leather pants. Instead of a scabbard, a large battle-axe was strapped to her back.

"Flannery, 'The Eruption' and Roxie, 'The Earthquake', both of whom were instrumental in the downfall of Lowee. Flannery wields fire, and is quite literally a pyromaniac."

"Meanwhile, Roxie's wields the element of Earth, and can harden her body to near steel-like toughness. This latter ability is used both defensively and offensively, giving her tremendous resistance against an enemy's physical attacks and greatly amplifying her own."

"Damn brute literally shattered my weapon arm during our battle." Blanc said, in a scathing voice. "I've never been felt so much pain and humiliation in all my years as a CPU! Having to regrow my bones in time for the upcoming battle was excruciating..."

"In any case, let us continue our discussion." HD Histoire said, as the image changed once again to display another duo. The woman on the right had dark skin, wild, almost jagged, medium-length yellow hair and electric-blue eyes. She wore a black track suit with the Coalition insignia emblazoned on each shoulder, as well as over the right breast, and a sword scabbard was attached to her left hip.

The woman on the left, had dark skin and long wavy white hair. She wore a black tank top with a medium-length skirt. She had a knife holster strapped to her right hip, and a large halberd was strapped to her back.

"Electra, 'the Thunderbolt', and Gaela, 'The Hurricane'. The scourge of Lastation, these two are particularly noteworthy for their barbaric ruthlessness on the battlefield."

"Electra is a cruel and bloodthirsty lightning user who takes pleasure in torturing her enemies with her powers. She is also, by far, the fasted among her comrades, using her lightning-powers to amplify her speed, allowing her travel at nearly the speed of light."

"This alone makes her among the most dangerous members of the group."

"Meanwhile, Gaela is a powerful wind user who loves combat. She can quite literally cut steel with her wind-based powers, and also incredibly strong, being second only to Roxie in terms of pure physical strength."

"They also appear to have a mutually strong dislike of one another, often bickering among themselves, even while in the midst of a battle."

"Despite this, however, when they decide to focus on the enemy in front of them, their teamwork is virtually flawless."

The image changed again to show a figure Neptune knew all too well. She had fair skin, medium-length, violet hair and blazing blue eyes. She wore a black kimono of medium length, and the Coalition insignia was stamped onto the back of her right hand. A pair of scabbards were strapped to her left hip, both of which contained her twin katanas.

"Kyoko, 'The Valkyrie'. By far the most powerful of the group, Kyoko is also their designated leader, and also holds the rank of General within the Coalition's vast armies."

"She is single-handedly responsible for the fall of Planeptune. In fact, so powerful was she very nearly ended up killing both Neptune and Peashy. A truly bloodthirsty, sadistic and psychotic individual who revels in bloodshed, she also possesses a foul temper."

"Also, unlike her fellow swords, Kyoko's epithet does not refer to her special ability, but to her prowess with the blade. In particular, she has displayed prodigous skill in the rare art of dual wielding. Such is her mastery of the blade that even Neptune, herself among our best swordswomen, on par only with Noire of Lastation, struggled to fend off Kyoko's strikes. And mind you, their battle was a mostly physical battle of pure swordplay. Very little in the way of magic-based attacks was used.

"According to Neptune, Kyoko told her the true nature of her special ability as she was preparing to finish her. Luckily, she was saved in the nick of time by Plutia."

"Apparently, Kyoko's special ability is to utilize all the powers of the Seven Swords simultaneously, an ability she refers to as 'Channel', though it is unclear whether she is as adept at using them as her comrades."

The seventh member of the group is still a mystery, with neither her name, powers nor epithet known at this point and time. However, from the intel I've received from my scouts, we believe we do have a suspect." An image now appeared showing a fair-skinned woman with long black hair, dark gray eyes and a cold, emotionless expression on her face. She wore a black kimono similar to Kyoko's with the exception that it had the Coalition insignia emblazoned on the sleeves, and the dress was a bit longer. Her sword scabbard was attached to her right hip.

"As with Kyoko, the woman you see before you was among those who successfully infiltrated our Basilicom. While we know next to nothing about her, several reports from people claiming to have seen an individual who roughly matches her description suggest she was, in fact, present during the Assault on Planeptune. Indeed, since then, she has been seen regularly alongside Kyoko herself."

"For some reason, however, she did not participate in the previous battle, choosing instead to observe. It is my hypothesis that this was intentional, likely an order from either Kyoko or Rei Ryghts herself. If true, I think we can safely conclude she may be the Coalition's strategic officer. It is also possible she may have had underlings watching the other battles as well."

"I do believe strongly, however, that she will likely participate in the coming battle. As such, I advise extreme caution in the event she decides to confront you, especially since her powers are virtually unknown, thus giving her the superior advantage."

"In any case, let us move forward with the final portion of this meeting. Our strategy for defeating the Seven Swords will be quite simple."

"First, I stress the importance of power conservation. Using to many SP-heavy attacks will only work to the enemies advantage. Given the superior power reserves of the Seven Swords, spamming SP-heavy attacks will result in fatigue, which will most definitely leave you open to a counterattack."

"If possible, try to hold off on using these types of attacks until late in the battle. By fighting mostly defensively from the start, there is the likelihood that your enemy will become overconfident. After all, most of Seven Swords, including their leader, have shown themselves to be extremely arrogant in their power, which is something we can definitely use against them. By fighting defensively, and tricking them into thinking their victory is assured, by late in the battle, when you suddenly shift to an all-out offensive, they will likely be caught off guard, creating an opening in their defenses. Take advantage of this to land a decisive blow against the enemy. Also, a good feint or two isn't a bad idea either."

"In any case, as the battles progresses, we will send reinforcements to each of the battlefields to assist our main forces against the hordes of Coalition soldiers. In addition, while you are on out on the battlefield, Nanashi and Shizuku will continue their training to awaken their powers. Should they succeed before the end of the Hyper Dimension campaign, we will send them to aid you, along with the other reinforcements. Most of you are likely unaware of their importance to the war effort. Hoevver, I'm afraid it is not my place to explain, so if you'd please be so kind as to explain your situation to the men and women gathered here, Shizuku?"

"Very well." Shizuku said, as she stood up and walked over to the head of the table, next to HD Histoire. "The truth of the matter is that neither of us are actually human…"

"My kind are a long-lived race of beings known as Nighteaters. We are also, in a sense, a divine species, seeing as we were once worshiped as Gods among the people of Earth. In a sense, that makes us somewhat similar in nature to the CPUs of this world, despite there being several major differences as well, most notably the much darker nature of our kind. As for Nanashi-kun, he was once a normal human. But three months ago, his humanity was stolen from him when a certain organization turned him into a vampire-like creature known as a Synthister."

"The Synthisters are very similar to Nighteaters, with the exception that they more demonic than divine, and unlike the Nigheaters, they lose all sense of reason in their blind, relentless pursuit of that which they desire. Synthisters are the shadows of former humans who were corrupted by their lust and greed. Synthisters feed on the life force of normal humans, draining them of their vitality. They are also incredibly weak to sunlight."

"The Nighteaters have been Synthister hunters since ancient times. But more recently, we have been plagued by an inability to have children, discovered to be in direct connection with the increasing lack of piety of our once loyal subjects. When our decreasing population suddenly began to reach dangerous levels, our late elder brother, Soga Kagutsuchi, became very vocal about the preservation of the Nighteater legacy."

"Unfortunately for him, his desire to find some way to keep the Nighteater legacy alive fell on mostly deaf ears. And so, unable to persuade anyone, he disappeared."

"A year later, reports of a Synthister outbreak in a town of Akihabara, located in Tokyo, Japan, reached our village. In response, my younger sister, Rin, departed the village to investigate, though not before leaving behind a note telling me how she hated my guts. Traumatized and wanting to find out the truth for myself, I eventually followed her, where I happened across the Nanashi as just as his transformation into a Synthister was complete."

"However, when I arrived, the organization had already decided to get rid of him, as despite his transformation into a Synthister, he refuse to take part in their vile schemes."

"This and the fact he shielded me from an attack from the group's leader, a man named Zenya Amo, piqued my interest in the boy, who despite his transformation, remained surprisingly pure. Unfortunately, by shielding me, his own body was was damaged to the point of breaking down, and so I made him my familiar to save him, but with the unfortunate side-effect of robbing him of whatever humanity he had left."

"Alongside a his longtime friends, all of whom were members of a local peacekeeping organization known as the Akiba Freedom Fighters, our battle against the Synthisters raged for nearly a month. Eventally, following several encounters with Zenya and finally defeating him, my brother revealed himself as the mastermind behind the whole operation. He planned to transform Akihabara into a perfect Dark Utopia, and was using the Synthisters to gather life energy for this purpose. I also reunited with my sister just before our final battle with Zenya, who revealed that she didn't hate me after all, but wrote that horrible letter to keep me out of harm's way. Anyways, after a furious final battle, we finally managed to defeat Soga, who passed away shortly after, though not before entrusting us with the Nighteater Clan's future. Two months of relative peace followed, before the events were set in motion that eventually led to the very situation we now find ourselves in."

"Thank you, Shizuku." Histoire said. "In any case, the reason why their help is so important is due to the fact that Rei Ryghts appears to fear their potential, meaning that their potential poses a threat to her. As to how we will train them when our CPUs are fighting abroad, the answer is the same as the answer to how we will defend HQ in the event of an enemy raid. You may enter…" Histoire said suddenly turning to the door.

Moments later, a group of 11 shockingly familiar faces entered the room. Standing before them were carbon copies of Neptune, Noire, Blanc, Vert, Nepgear, Uni, Rom, Ram, Histoire, IF and Compa! "Please welcome the CPUs of Super Dimension. They have agreed to assist us with fortifying our defenses until this crisis is over. In addition, they have also agreed to take turns in helping Nanashi and Shizuku awaken their powers."

"Now then, I believe that is all for now. Thus, I hereby declare this meeting adjourned. Please join me at 6:00 P.M. tonight in addressing the citizens. We must reignite their faith in our CPUs' ability to win. We need to recover as many Shares as possible before sending you off to battle, as once you arrive in Hyper Dimension, the only Shares you will manage to receive for the duration of the battle, outside those you've gained beforehand, will be from your comrades in arms."

"As this is an important event, I ask that all of you dress in your best ceremonial garbs. Nepgear would you please take Nanashi and Shizuku to Plutia's Basilicom and assist them in finding an outfit for them to wear as well?" "I'd love to, Histoire." Nepgear said. "Thank you, Nepgear." HD Histoire said.

"In any case, I want all of you ready by 5:30. The current time is approximately 1:30. That gives you approximately 3 hours in which to do as you please, and another hour in which to prepare. As for me, I ask that you allow me some privacy while I rehearse my coming speech with the other Oracles. Until then, please enjoy the precious few hours of free time you have been given. And now, you are hereby dismissed." With that, everyone except HD Histoire, UD Histoire, Kei Jinguji, Mina Nishizawa, and Chika Hakozaki filed out of the room.

 **Meanwhile…**

 **Hyper Dimension**

 **Planeptune**

"Did everyone understand the information in Lilith's report?" Kyoko asked, as she and the other Swords met to discuss strategy in preparation for the coming battle.

"Hah!" shouted Electra arrogantly. "Why should I bother?! That twin-tailed cosplay otaku bitch is no match for my lightning powers. That much was made clear during our first battle."

"You really are an idiot!" Gaela spat. "Even I have the common sense to study my enemy, even if I am confident in my abilities. It's just one more reason why I can't stand you."

"Huh?!" Electra asked angrily. "Care to repeat that?!"

"I said you're an arrogant dumbass!" Gaela shot back.

"Just because you won your last battle doesn't guarantee victory next time." Roxie said.

"Gaela's right…" Aqua said calmly. "Your arrogance and refusal to recognize the importance of tactics will surely get you killed one of these days."

"Agreed." Flannery said. "Besides, the CPUs are bound to have come up with coutermeasures against us. You'd be wise to keep your guard up."

"Alright, that's enough." Kyoko said. "In any case, this meeting is now over. Return to your stations at once and await my orders. In two days' time, we will crush those AFG heathens and kill their CPU protectors!"

As the other Swords departed, Kyoko suddenly felt the presence of another, as she turned to see a young man with blond hair, kneeling before her.

"You sent for me, milady?" said the man.

"Ah, yes. Zenya Amo, was it?" Kyoko said. "Yes, milady." Zenya said, as he looked up at Kyoko, his eyes vacant and glossy, and his expression cold and emotionless, telltale signs that he was indoctrinated. In the dim light, his eyes seemed to glow dully.

"I have a mission for you." Kyoko said. "Your target can be found in a dimension called Ultra Dimension.

"Take these special bullets, and this photograph as well. Your mission is as follows. The girl in this photograph… Find her. And eliminate her!"

"It shall be done, milady." Zenya said coldly as he took the bullets and photograph, the turned and walked away, studying the photograph and setting to memory the face of the girl in the image, who, despite his indoctrination, he couldn't help but notice was quite beautiful. Screaming internally, he cursed the fact that he had no control over his own body, instead being helplessly used as a weapon by these Coalition psychopaths to commit cold-blooded murder!

"The girl appeared to be in her late teens. She had long light purple hair with a single D-pad hair clip and violet eyes and wore a white, button up sailor uniform with purple designs and a yellow ribbon being held together by an N-emblem. She wore thigh high socks with pink and white stripes and medium sized boots that match her uniform in color scheme.

"Please forgive me." Zenya thought to himself, a single tear trickling down his cheek as he read the girl's name on below the photograph. "I bear you no ill will of my own, and yet, I am physically incapable of defying the monsters who now demand I kill for them…" As Zenya activated the portal, he then thought of his former adversaries from two-and-a-half months prior. "Nanashi. Shizuku. If you are still alive, even after everything that's happened, I pray that you will somehow find me, and stop me, before I can carry out this vile mission…"

As Zenya disappeared through the portal, Kyoko looked on, a cruel and vindictive smirk on her face. "Purple Sister. Iris Heart. You two thought you could get away with denying me the satisfaction of killing Purple Heart. Unfortunately for you, you have both incurred my wrath. For the crime of interfering with my mission to kill Purple Heart, you will pay dearly... I'm looking forward to seeing the look of despair on Purple Heart's face as she cradles the lifeless body of her precious little sister in her arms!"

"However, even if Nepgear does manage to survive, the sight of her lying in a hospital bed, badly wounded and unconscious, is certain to rile Purple Heart into a rage-filled frenzy! And when you come to me seeking vengeance, that's when our battle truly begins. As for you, Iris Heart, I have assigned Lilith to deal with you. Also, I'm quite curious to find out how those nighteater punks, Nanashi and Shizuku, will fare against their old adversary, who has not only been indoctrinated, but been made even more powerful than he was before.

Either way, they, along with their CPU protectors, will die! Know this, Purple Heart! This time for sure…I _will_ kill you! I'LL CRUSH YOU UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT! I'LL DESTROY YOU COMPLETELY THIS TIME!" Kyoko roared, as she began to laugh maniacally, her cold, cruel laughter echoing throughout the underground chamber.

 **AN: For those of you who may be wondering, regarding the Super Dimension in this story; while it is intended to be based on the one from Re;Birth1, it is nevertheless a different entity entirely (kind of hard to use that specific dimension's CPUs, given what happens to them in the true ending).**


End file.
